Merz announces an end to restrictions on the scope of arms supplied to Ukraine
The German chancellor assured that Kiev can defend itself by attacking Russian military positions in Russian territory. Moscow reacted, saying the announcement was "quite dangerous."
Friedrich Merz, winner of the Bundestag elections.
The German chancellor said Monday that Ukraine's key Western allies, including Germany, will no longer impose restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Kiev, although he did not specify specifically what implications this would have for future shipments.
"There are no longer any range limits on the weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine. Not by the British, not by the French, not by us. Nor from the Americans," Friedrich Merz said during an interview on WDR public television in Berlin.
"This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia ... something it did not do some time ago, with a few exceptions. Now it can do so," said the German conservative leader, who took office earlier this month.
Russia reacted by saying the announcement was "quite dangerous."
"If these decisions were really taken, they absolutely go against our aspirations to reach a political agreement ... And this is quite a dangerous decision," Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian presidency, said in a video published by Russian media.
The new head of the German government did not specify whether or not his statements would affect future arms shipments by Berlin to Ukraine, in particular regarding Taurus long-range missiles.
Restricted-range weapons
Before taking office as chancellor in early May, Merz had been in favor of sending these missiles, which have a range of more than 300 miles and would allow them to reach deep into Russian territory.
But since then he has adopted a more ambiguous stance, indicating that he will no longer detail the weapons he will send to Ukraine, for strategic reasons, in order not to inform Moscow.
Germany has not delivered to Ukraine weapons with a range greater than about 45 miles.
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