Ukraine can strike deep inside Russia using German weapons
Kiev should be able to 'effectively' defend itself against Russia, the chancellor told the EuropaForum event on Monday. The ability to only strike targets on its own territory is insufficient, Merz argued.
'We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine militarily,' the chancellor said. 'There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, neither from the British nor the French, nor from us, nor from the Americans.'
He did not elaborate on whether long-range Taurus missiles would be provided, which was a contentious topic under the previous government of Olaf Scholz. The former chancellor consistently opposed the idea, arguing that it would lead to a dangerous escalation of the conflict.
Taurus missiles have an operational range of 500km, meaning they could be used to attack targets deep inside Russian territory, potentially even reaching the nation's capital. Russia has repeatedly warned Germany that deliveries to Ukraine would make Berlin a direct participant in the conflict.
On Monday, Merz stated that Berlin is 'actively discussing' potential deliveries with London and Paris.
The Kremlin has called the German chancellor's latest statements 'dangerous.' Berlin's actions go against the attempts to settle the Ukraine conflict peacefully, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned. 'If such decisions have been made, they are contrary to our desire to find a political settlement, to all the efforts to resolve [the conflict],' he said.
The chancellor's statements come as Russia and Ukraine have engaged in direct peace talks for the first time in over three years after Kiev unilaterally withdrew from the negotiations in 2022.
Merz remains skeptical about a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin 'obviously sees offers of talks as a sign of weakness,' he claimed on Monday, adding that 'we must prepare ourselves for this war to last longer than any of us could wish or imagine.'
Moscow has repeatedly stated it is open for peace talks but would prefer a lasting solution to the conflict to a temporary truce. The Istanbul talks took place after Putin suggested resuming peace process without preconditions.
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The architecture, design philosophy, and even its name follow a lineage shaped by one institution: The Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT). Founded during the Cold War to develop advanced solid-fueled missile systems, MITT has long been responsible for some of Russia's most sophisticated mobile strategic platforms. These include the Temp-2S, Pioner, and later, the Topol family – Russia's first mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles. The naming convention has remained surprisingly consistent over the years. Most of MITT's missiles are named after trees: Topol (Poplar), Topol-M, Osina (Aspen), Yars (a type of ash), Kedr (Cedar). The new system, Oreshnik (Hazel), fits within that tradition – both symbolically and organizationally. Analysts believe that the Oreshnik may be based in part on the RS-26 Rubezh, a mobile ICBM developed by MITT and tested from 2011 to 2015. 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'This weapon has proven itself extremely effective in combat conditions, and in a very short time,' he stated. The speed of this transition – from battlefield debut to mass production – is notable. It suggests that both the missile system and its supporting infrastructure had been maturing quietly in the background, likely building off earlier research conducted under the RS-26 program. Even more significant than the production itself is the plan for forward deployment. On July 2, 2025, during an Independence Day gathering in Minsk, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko publicly confirmed that the first Oreshnik units would be stationed on in Belarus by the end of the year. 'We agreed with Putin in Volgograd,' Lukashenko said. 'The first Oreshnik positions will be in Belarus. You've seen how this system performs. It will be here before the year is out.' The move carries both logistical logic and strategic weight. 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