Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on May 26 that German arms delivered to Ukraine will face no distance restrictions, reversing key limits under Olaf Scholz’s government.
• Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned that ending range caps would draw Germany deeper into the conflict and jeopardize European security.
• Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil asserted that the policy shift does not amount to a fundamental change in Germany’s Ukraine strategy and remains consistent with past commitments.
• Security expert Nico Lange praised the repeal as legally sound and “militarily sensible,” emphasizing the strategic value of long-range systems such as the Taurus cruise missile.
• Germany has not yet sent Taurus missiles to Ukraine despite calls to enhance Kyiv’s ability to strike Russian air bases after intensified Russian air raids.