According to German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, there were no new agreements in the government coalition to change course regarding the lifting of restrictions on long-range strikes by Ukraine on Russian territory.
Points of attention
- Friedrich Merz's discussions with French and Polish leaders on arms supply to Ukraine further complicate the understanding of Germany's position on the matter.
- The conflicting signals and shifting stances within the German government add to the uncertainty surrounding the issue of aiding Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Klingbeil denied Merz's words
"As for the range, I also want to say that there are no new agreements that go beyond what the previous government did," the politician said in response to a question during a press conference in Berlin.
What is important to understand is that on May 26, German leader Friedrich Merz publicly announced that "there are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, neither from the British, nor from the French, nor from us, nor from the Americans."
However, it is currently difficult to understand whether the German Chancellor's statement is new information or whether he is referring to the cases of the use of Western missiles on Russian territory, already known since last fall.
Friedrich Merz also said that the topic of lifting restrictions on weapon ranges was at the center of his talks with French leader Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during their joint visit to Kyiv.
Also, the German Chancellor previously advocated supplying the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Taurus cruise missiles, but a few weeks ago he classified the process of providing weapons to Ukraine.
