Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany, announced on the 26th (local time) that Germany and its major Western allies have lifted the range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine.
According to AP and other sources, Chancellor Merz stated at the Europa Forum event held in Berlin, Germany, that "there are no longer any range restrictions on the weapons provided to Ukraine. The same applies to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States."
Chancellor Merz explained, "This means Ukraine can defend itself by, for example, attacking military bases within Russia. Until recently, this was impossible, but now it is possible." He added, "This also includes providing Ukraine with weapons capable of striking military targets in rear areas."
However, Chancellor Merz did not provide further details. According to AP, it remains unclear whether he was referring to the approval of long-range missiles mentioned late last year.
The United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany allowed Ukraine in May of last year to use the weapons they had supplied to strike Russian territory, but only for the purpose of territorial defense. Starting from November last year, they permitted the use of missiles with a range of 250 to 300 kilometers, such as the U.S. ATACMS and the UK's Storm Shadow, to be fired at Russia.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, has been requesting for the third consecutive year the supply of Taurus missiles with a range of 500 kilometers. Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz consistently refused, citing concerns that Germany could become a direct party to the war. However, Chancellor Merz has previously expressed willingness to provide Taurus missiles. Nevertheless, for reasons of strategic ambiguity, the specific weapons being supplied to Ukraine have not been disclosed.
In response to Chancellor Merz's remarks, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin (Russian Presidential Office), strongly objected, calling it "a highly dangerous decision" and stating that it "contradicts Russia's efforts to find a political solution."
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