Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on May 26 that Western allies have lifted range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, enabling strikes on military targets within Russia.
Merz stated that the United Kingdom (UK), France, the United States (US), and Germany now permit such use and affirmed continued military support for Ukraine. He added that Germany will no longer specify the arms it delivers, citing strategic ambiguity. While not confirming the supply of long-range Taurus missiles, Merz has previously supported their deployment.
Previously, Western countries—including the German government under Olaf Scholz—had imposed range limits on weapons supplied to Ukraine to avoid escalating the conflict with Russia. These restrictions aimed to prevent Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory, amid concerns that such actions could trigger a broader confrontation, particularly given Russia’s nuclear capabilities. Over the past several months, however, multiple countries have lifted these limits—a policy shift that has remained in place despite changes in administrations in both the US and the UK.
The Kremlin labeled the policy shift “dangerous” and inconsistent with diplomatic efforts, according to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.