Germany, Ukraine to jointly produce long-range weapons
Germany and Ukraine have agreed to work on joint production of long-range weapons.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks in Berlin on Wednesday. They discussed ways to deal with Russia, which is stepping up attacks on Ukraine while rejecting a ceasefire requested by the West.
At a joint news conference after the meeting, Merz said Russia is playing for time, and that massive airstrikes on Kyiv "do not speak the language of peace."
Zelenskyy said every possible pressure must be put on Russia.
They disclosed that they agreed to seek joint production of long-range weapons to enhance Ukraine's defense.
Merz said on Monday that Germany will now allow Ukraine to conduct long-range attacks into Russian territory using weapons supplied by his country.
A focal point in the latest meeting was whether Germany would agree to supply its Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers. But Merz did not mention that.
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized the agreement between Berlin and Kyiv. He said in an interview with state-run TV on Wednesday that the move hinders peace efforts.
He also said that despite such provocative actions and obstacles, Russia expects the peace process to continue and Moscow and Kyiv to hold a second round of negotiations and exchange memorandums.
On May 16, the two sides held direct talks in Turkey.
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