German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Monday that Western nations, including Germany, have removed restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine, enabling Kyiv to strike military targets inside Russia.
This decision was met with a warning from the Kremlin, which stated such a move would be “at odds” with achieving a peace agreement.
Merz, who recently took office, affirmed Germany’s commitment to “continue supporting Ukraine, including militarily,” in close coordination with allies.
He explicitly stated, “There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine — neither by the British nor by the French nor by us nor by the Americans.”
This signifies Ukraine’s newfound ability to target Russian military positions, which it had largely refrained from doing until recently.
While Merz did not specify the exact timeline for these changes or which countries made the decisions, it follows previous authorisations.
Former US President Joe Biden approved the use of long-range ATACMS against targets in Russia in November 2024.
Similarly, the UK greenlit the use of Storm Shadow missiles in Russia, and France, a supplier of Scalp missiles, reiterated that strikes on military targets within Russia were an option.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called any such decision “dangerous” and “completely at odds with our aspirations for a political (peace) settlement.”
Merz also criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unwillingness to engage in peace talks, noting that diplomatic efforts, including a recent offer from the Vatican to host discussions, have been met with increased Russian aggression.
He concluded that if even such offers are rejected, the international community must be prepared for the war to potentially last longer than desired.
