Germany’s new leader, Friedrich Merz, announced that his nation, together with its partners, has lifted all limitations on the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine.
Merz has seemingly attempted to maintain diplomatic efforts as he tries to secure a ceasefire keeping Western support for Ukraine.
“We will do whatever it takes to keep supporting Ukraine. This now includes removing any range restrictions on the arms we provide. Ukraine is now able to defend itself by targeting military sites within Russia,” he stated on the social media platform X.
Just last week, Merz made a call for Germany to defend democracy and strengthen the constitutional state amid the conflict.
“Our Basic Law grants us the right to live in freedom, peace, and security – something we are very proud of. Yet, this freedom is under attack like never before, both internally and externally. Therefore, it is vital for us to uphold a strong constitutional state and to safeguard our democracy consistently,” he added.
Merz’s statements come after Moscow hit Ukraine with more than 300 missiles and drones.
A general view of the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, August 12, 2024. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, warned that lifting the range restrictions would be dangerous in a statement, saying that it runs “contrary to our efforts to reach a political settlement.”
Moscow warned the West to not lift the restrictions, claiming that doing so would make the offender a target for the Kremlin and face the threat of nuclear weapons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
