Berlin is charting a new course in its European defence strategy as Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledges direct support for Ukraine’s independent long-range missile development, in a break from Germany's post-war policy of non-intervention.
In a marked departure from Germany’s stance on defence, Merz this week announced that Berlin will help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems – free from the restrictions that have limited Western-supplied weaponry.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin, Merz declared that Germany would "strive to equip the Ukrainian army with all the capabilities that truly enable it to successfully defend the country".
This includes boosting domestic Ukrainian missile production – without the constraints on range and targeting that have dogged Western weapons shipments.
A turning point
Until now, many of the advanced systems delivered to Ukraine have come with caveats, reflecting fears that strikes deep inside Russian territory could provoke direct retaliation and potentially pull NATO into open conflict.
Merz's pledge marks a significant turning point. By backing Ukraine’s independent missile development, Germany is not only bolstering Kyiv’s self-reliance – it's also the first time a German leader has so directly supported the development of Ukrainian weapons with no operational strings attached, and marks a sharp escalation in German military support.
“Ukraine will be able to fully defend itself, including against military targets outside its own territory,” Merz said.
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However, Berlin’s continued refusal to supply Kyiv with its powerful Taurus long-range cruise missiles remains a sore point.
The Taurus system has long been on Ukraine's wish list, and Merz’s own party colleagues – including senior CDU member Roderich Kiesewetter – voiced disappointment at the lack of clarity.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Kiesewetter wrote: “There is no sign of Germany finally delivering Taurus cruise missiles, because I still see no unity in the coalition and no political will to respond appropriately and with strength and consistency to Russia's massive escalation ... Such statements are therefore not helpful overall because they highlight Europe's weakness to Russia.”
Still, Merz’s initiative may offer a strategic workaround: if Ukraine can build its own systems with German backing, the issue of direct exports may become less urgent, as the focus shifts from short-term shipments to long-term defence capacity – exactly what Zelensky has been asking for.
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Germany is already Europe’s biggest individual supplier of military aid to Ukraine, second globally only to the United States.
Merz’s move aligns Germany more closely with the stance taken by Washington, especially after last year’s decision by then-President Joe Biden to allow limited Ukrainian strikes into Russia using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
This comes as the Trump administration notified Congress of a planned $50 million arms sale to Ukraine following a new US-Ukraine minerals deal, signed at the end of April.
Russia slams missile pledge
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised Germany's missile production pledge as a threat to peace negotiations. He was quoted by Russian news agency Interfax as saying: "These potential decisions, if indeed such decisions have taken place, are absolutely contrary to our aspirations to reach a political settlement."
At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has extended an invitation for direct peace talks in Istanbul on 2 June – an offer Ukraine says is undermined by Moscow’s continued military escalation and the lack of a concrete negotiating framework.
On 29 May, Zelensky accused Russia of stalling peace talks by failing to deliver a promised negotiations memorandum ahead of the proposed meeting in Istanbul.
While diplomatic manoeuvres continue, however, the war on the ground is intensifying.
Last weekend, Russia launched its largest drone attack to date, while Ukraine’s own growing drone fleet continues to strike deep into Russian territory.
Zelensky has repeatedly emphasised the need for sustained defence investment, urging European nations to help build up Ukraine’s domestic capabilities – from drones to cruise missiles and beyond.
