Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz told German television that sending Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine “remains within the realm of possibility,” marking a departure from former policies under Olaf Scholz.
• Merz warned that Ukrainian forces would need several months of specialized training before any Taurus systems could be operational.
• During a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Germany pledged an extra €5 billion in military assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
• President Zelensky revealed that he and Merz agreed to keep certain aspects of their Taurus discussions confidential as they work on broader defense cooperation.
• German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov signed an agreement to co-finance Ukraine’s domestic production of long-range weapons.