Germany will deepen its military cooperation with Ukraine by supporting the purchase of long-range missiles produced in the war-ravaged nation, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. “Our defense ministers will sign a letter of intent today on procuring long-range weapon systems produced in Ukraine — so-called Long Range Fires,” Merz said Wednesday during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin. “There will be no restrictions on range.” That builds on a broader €5 billion military aid package unveiled the same day by the German defense ministry. It includes German financing for the production of long-range weapons in Ukraine which are already in service with Ukrainian forces and can be deployed within weeks.

Germany has agreed a new €5 billion aid package for Ukraine and joint production of long-range weapons systems during Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Berlin. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Berlin would seek to help Kyiv jointly develop new long-range weapons that can strike deeper inside Russia as Germany agreed on a new €5 billion aid package. Heralding the beginning of a "new form of military industrial cooperation between our two countries," Merz said that Germany and Ukraine would seek to "enable joint production" of weapons. "This will be a cooperation on an industrial level, which can take place both in Ukraine and here in Germany," Merz said.

Germany will help Ukraine develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets deep inside Russian territory, Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has said. “Our defence ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,” Mr Merz told reporters in a joint press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky. “There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory.” When asked whether Kyiv would be given Germany’s long-range Taurus missiles, Mr Merz dodged the question, instead referring to the new weapons agreement.