Latest news with #militaryassistance
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Germany to deny Ukraine's request for Taurus missiles
Germany will not supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range cruise missiles, Bild reported on Wednesday, citing sources. Officials in Berlin have for months been reluctant to greenlight the shipment over concerns that it could lead to a major escalation. While Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky is expected to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss continued Western military assistance, a 'big breakthrough is unlikely to happen,' according to Bild. Merz is not expected to approve the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of up to 500km, the newspaper claimed, adding that officials in Berlin are still avoiding discussing the so-called 'T-question' which is seen as 'taboo.' While Taurus deliveries reportedly remain off the table, the German government is expected to offer Kiev alternative systems. According to Bild, these could include more Mars-2 multiple rocket launchers, a system already supplied in 2022 and which have a maximum range of 85km. The German newspaper noted, however, that M30 and M31 missile that accompany the system are GPS-guided munitions and hence have limited utility, given that Russian forces have been able to counteract such technology. Germany is also reportedly planning to support Ukraine's domestic weapons production by allocating millions of euros to assist Kiev in developing and manufacturing its own long-range cruise missiles, some with ranges up to 2,500km. Earlier this week, Merz said that Ukraine was no longer limited in range to use Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia, claiming the decision had been made months ago. In contrast, Ukrainian leader Zelensky said he had not yet received formal approval from his European backers, although he suggested that the green light could come soon. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Tuesday that the lifting of range restrictions for strikes inside Russia would mark a 'serious escalation' and would 'most severely undermine attempts for a peaceful settlement.' The previous German government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz long resisted calls to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine, arguing that doing so would risk drawing Berlin into the conflict. In the spring of 2024, Scholz stressed that deliveries of German-made long-range weapons to Ukraine would 'only be sensibly supplied if they would involve the deployment of German soldiers.'
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Zelensky Heads to Berlin in Latest Sign of a Warming Relationship
Three weeks after Chancellor Friedrich Merz took over as the leader of Germany, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will visit him in Berlin on Wednesday. The Ukrainian leader's visit will be his third meeting with Mr. Merz in as many weeks and underscores Mr. Merz's focus on the war in Ukraine, as he seeks to reestablish German leadership among European allies in the face of weakening U.S. commitments to NATO. Mr. Zelensky will meet with Mr. Merz in the Chancellery, Germany's executive office, and the two men will hold a joint news conference in the afternoon. Later, the Ukrainian leader is expected to have talks with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Bellevue, the presidential palace. Large sections of the government district in Berlin are expected to be cordoned off by the police on Wednesday, as was the case during previous visits by the Ukrainian president. Mr. Merz's warm embrace of Mr. Zelensky stands in stark contrast to the initially cool relationship that Olaf Scholz, the previous German chancellor, had with the Ukrainian leader. Mr. Scholz did not visit Ukraine until a year after Russia invaded. But just three days after being sworn in this month, Mr. Merz traveled to Ukraine with his French and Polish counterparts. Discussions between Mr. Merz and Mr. Zelensky are expected to focus on continued military assistance, especially as the United States, the biggest donor to Ukraine, appears ready to wind down its support. Of particular interest to the Ukrainian leader is the long-range Taurus missile system, which Germany developed with Sweden. During the election campaign, Mr. Merz said he was open to exporting the Taurus system. Mr. Merz has reiterated his continued support both for Ukraine and for using sanctions to force President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to agree to a cease-fire. 'In Ukraine, nothing less than the peace order of our entire continent is at stake,' Mr. Merz told lawmakers in his first speech in Parliament after assuming office earlier this month. 'In this historic moment of decision, Europe must stand together more closely than ever before.'
Al Jazeera
08-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Ukraine's parliament ratifies landmark minerals deal with US
Ukrainian legislators have unanimously voted to ratify a minerals deal with the United States in the hope of securing military assistance to deter future Russian aggression. The country's parliament gave its assent to the agreement, which grants the US priority access to Ukrainian minerals and sets up an investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction, with 338 members voting in favour and none against it. Ukraine's First Vice Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Thursday that the deal, which stops short of offering security guarantees but has raised hopes of revived US support, was 'the foundation of a new model of interaction with a key strategic partner'. The Ukrainian Parliament has ratified the historic Economic Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the United States. This document is not merely a legal construct — it is the foundation of a new model of interaction with a key strategic partner. — Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) May 8, 2025The deal, signed by the US and Ukraine at the end of April, was approved despite legislators' concerns over a lack of detail regarding issues such as how the reconstruction fund will be governed and how contributions will be made. In a news conference earlier that day, Svyrydenko had sought to assuage these concerns, indicating the deal would be operational in a few weeks. 'We have managed to ensure that the agreement is equitable. The key principle is that management is 50-50. Neither side has an advantage, there is no dictatorship from either side, and decisions are taken by consensus,' she said. Svyrydenko underlined on X that the deal has no 'debt provisions', absolving Ukraine from earlier US demands that it cover the repayment of billions of dollars in military aid supplied by Washington since Russia invaded in February 2022. Ukraine managed to obtain the concession despite getting off to a bad start in negotiations back in February, when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed with US President Donald Trump during a testy Oval Office sit-down. Kyiv was initially hoping the US would provide security guarantees to help deter future Russian attacks, in exchange for preferential access to Ukraine's mineral resources. But Washington refused, instead arguing that boosting its business interests in Ukraine would itself act as a bulwark against Russia.
