Germany To Help Ukraine Produce Longer Range Missiles
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BERLIN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukraine and Germany have agreed to jointly produce long-range missiles that could reach distant targets in Russia.
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said Wednesday that the weapons would be produced on Ukrainian soil as part of a new 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) German aid package for Kyiv.
“Our defense ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-manufactured long-range weapons systems,” Merz told reporters after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin.
“There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory,” he added.
The pact was inked after Zelenskyy arrived in Germany’s capital in search of more support as Russian attacks intensified amid evidence that Moscow was planning a broad summer offensive.
The deal came while Zelenskyy warned that Russia amassed 50,000 troops in the Sumy region bordering Russia, where Russian President Vladimir Putin says he wants to “establish a buffer zone.”
WEAPONS SECRET
However, the German and Ukrainian leaders declined to detail what specific weapons would be manufactured in Ukraine to push back Russia’s military.
They said keeping the exact weapons lineup as secretive as possible was prudent. However, Zelenskyy confirmed that he expected the first weapons to be ready by June next year.
Observers said they expect Berlin to supply Ukraine with technical components to build and maintain its long-range weaponry, including rockets and cruise missiles, with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles).
Merz refused to say whether Germany would deploy Taurus missiles in Ukraine, enabling Kyiv to strike Russian military targets over the border.
Analysts said the weapons production on Ukrainian soil rather than Kyiv receiving “made-in-Germany” missiles would enable Berlin to calm down critics fearing Germany being dragged into a broader conflict 80 years after World War Two.
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