Germany\u2019s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has made a decisive announcement that signals a new chapter in Ukraine\u2019s war effort. In remarks delivered at the WDR Europaforum on May 26, Merz declared that Germany and its top Western allies will no longer impose range restrictions on the weapons they send to Ukraine. This means that for the first time, Ukraine is now officially allowed to use foreign-supplied weapons to strike military targets inside Russian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are no longer any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine,\u201d Merz said. \u201cNeither by the British, nor by the French, nor by us, and not by the Americans either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This shift opens the door for Ukraine to hit Russian military infrastructure across the border. Merz explained the change by saying, \u201cUkraine can also defend itself by, for example, attacking military positions in Russia. Until a while ago, it couldn’t. It can now.\u201d He called this capability \u201clong-range fire\u201d and added that Ukraine was being supplied with weapons \u201cthat attack military targets in the hinterland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This announcement represents a clear departure from the policy of former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Under Scholz, Germany refused to send long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, citing fears of escalation with Russia. At the time, the German government also published detailed lists of weapons it was sending to Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Merz has taken a different stance on both counts. As opposition leader, he supported the idea of sending Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers and can strike deep into enemy territory. While he has not confirmed whether Germany will now deliver these missiles, many observers believe it is likely. The change in policy appears to align Germany more closely with France and the United Kingdom, which have already sent long-range SCALP and Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. The United States has also provided ATACMS missiles and recently lifted its own restrictions on how they could be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to changing the range policy, Merz has introduced what he calls \u201cstrategic ambiguity.\u201d His administration will no longer provide public details on the exact weapons being delivered to Ukraine. He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin, a fluent German speaker, should not be able to learn Germany\u2019s military intentions simply by watching the news. \u201cWe were giving away too much to Moscow,\u201d Merz said. \u201cStrategic ambiguity is the better approach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kremlin reacted strongly to Merz\u2019s announcement. Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that removing the range restrictions would be \u201cquite dangerous\u201d and said it would \u201crun contrary to our efforts to reach a political settlement.\u201d Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also rejected a potential peace negotiation hosted by the Vatican, saying it would be \u201cinelegant\u201d for the Catholic Church to mediate between two Orthodox countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite those warnings, Merz defended the decision. \u201cOnly by lifting the range restrictions is Ukraine in a position to defend itself,\u201d he said. He also emphasized that the difference in tactics between the two sides is clear. \u201cWhilst Ukraine has military goals in its sights, Russia is targeting civilians,\u201d Merz said, pointing to Russian attacks on \u201ccities, kindergartens, hospitals, and care homes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that the latest decision comes after Russia launched what has been called the largest drone assault on Ukraine since the beginning of the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Germany delivers its Taurus cruise missiles, Ukraine would gain a powerful new tool. The Taurus can strike targets more than 300 miles away with high precision and is designed to penetrate bunkers, bridges, and supply hubs. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has openly called for the Taurus system, saying he has \u201cmore than hope\u201d that Germany will follow through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, Ukraine has used other long-range systems to disrupt Russian operations in occupied Ukrainian territory and near the border. Now, with the range limits lifted, Ukraine can strike deeper into Russia than ever before, potentially threatening command centers and logistical bases far from the front lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until now, Germany had not delivered any weapons to Ukraine with a range beyond 70 kilometers. That may soon change if the Taurus system is added to the arsenal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelenskyy is expected to visit Berlin soon to meet with Merz and other German leaders. The visit comes amid rising pressure within Germany\u2019s own parliament to take a clearer position on the war. Merz has faced criticism from both the right and the left for either being too cautious or not doing enough to push for peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Merz responded to those criticisms during the forum, saying, \u201cAfter the last three weeks, no one can seriously accuse us of not having exhausted all available diplomatic means.\u201d He said that Ukraine\u2019s allies have \u201cdone everything\u201d short of \u201craising a white flag.\u201d Referring to the Vatican\u2019s failed offer to mediate peace talks, Merz said, \u201cIf even an offer to meet at the Vatican does not get [Putin\u2019s] approval, then we must be prepared for this war to last longer than we all wish or can imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With no clear path to a ceasefire and Russia rejecting diplomatic overtures, the lifting of range restrictions marks a new phase in Ukraine\u2019s military campaign. It reflects a broader Western consensus that Ukraine should not be artificially restrained while defending itself. It also underscores a growing belief among Ukraine\u2019s allies that deterring Russia now requires more aggressive tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether Germany will officially deliver Taurus missiles remains to be seen, but Merz\u2019s message is clear. Ukraine will be allowed to take the war to Russian military targets, with full Western support. The next steps may be more quiet than before, but they will be no less significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NP Editor: The EU is dying to have a bigger say in the Russia Ukraine war, since Trump has been hogging all of the negotiations. Will this move the needle with Russia? We believe it will certainly irritate Putin, but it’s a side show. Unless the EU stands up and takes the lead, they will continue to play second fiddle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Merz Confirms Major Policy Shift in Berlin and Beyond Germany\u2019s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has made a decisive announcement that signals a new chapter in Ukraine\u2019s war effort. In remarks delivered at the WDR Europaforum on May 26, Merz declared that Germany and its top Western allies will no longer impose range restrictions on the weapons they send to Ukraine. This means that for the first time, Ukraine is now officially allowed to use foreign-supplied weapons to strike military targets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-european-politics","category-ukraine-russia-war"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/merzasdfasf.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6126"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6128,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126\/revisions\/6128"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}