Germany and its key allies have removed range limitations on weapons supplied to Ukraine, allowing Kiev to strike military targets inside Russia without external constraints, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Monday.
The decision marks a significant shift in German security policy and could pave the way for Berlin to deliver its advanced Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine—a move previously blocked by the former government over concerns about escalating tensions with nuclear-armed Russia.
“There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons delivered to Ukraine—neither from the British, the French, nor from us. The U.S. has also lifted such limitations,” Merz stated during the WDR Europaforum in Berlin. He emphasized that Ukraine must be permitted to defend itself by targeting “military infrastructure on Russian territory.”
The policy change follows the formation of Germany’s new center-right coalition government, led by Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) in partnership with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). While former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD-led government had resisted supplying Taurus missiles, citing escalation risks, Merz had signaled openness to the idea—provided Germany’s allies were aligned.
That condition now appears met. France and the U.K. have already provided Ukraine with comparable long-range SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles, while the U.S. recently eased restrictions on Kiev’s use of American-made weapons near the Russian border.
The German-made Taurus cruise missile, with a range exceeding 500 kilometers and a precision-guided warhead, would enable Ukraine to strike deep into Russian-occupied territory, disrupting logistics hubs and command centers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested the system, expressing cautious optimism that the new German government would approve the delivery. Though Merz stopped short of confirming immediate Taurus transfers, he vowed that Berlin would “do everything” to support Ukraine militarily.
In another strategic shift, Merz announced that future arms deliveries would be kept confidential to prevent Moscow from anticipating Ukraine’s capabilities.
Merz defended the decision, claiming that Ukraine—unlike Russia—has only targeted military infrastructure, not civilian sites. “Russia attacks cities, kindergartens, hospitals, and care homes ruthlessly,” he said. “Ukraine does not do that.”
He also referenced his recent visit to Kiev alongside the leaders of France, the U.K., and Poland, underscoring Western unity. “Nobody can now reproach us for not exhausting all diplomatic means,” Merz added.
The lifting of range restrictions, he argued, will prove decisive in Ukraine’s defense: “A country that can only resist an attacker on its own territory is not defending itself adequately.”