...
By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Support from Kyiv's backers to launch long-range NATO supplied missiles deep into Russia means little if Ukraine's supply of such weapons is dwindling, a Ukraine lawmaker told Newsweek.
Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, was speaking as Germany's chancellor confirmed on Tuesday that Ukraine's major allies had loosened restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range Western weapons in previous months.
Why It Matters
Ukraine said Russia launched its biggest drone attacks on Ukraine of the war over the weekend, recording an intense aerial bombardment of the country that drew uncharacteristically sharp criticism of Moscow from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Read More on World
Trump, eager to broker a peace deal bringing more than three years of full-scale war in Eastern Europe to a close, has become increasingly frustrated with Russian officials refusing to ink an agreement, despite pursuing a general thaw in relations with the Kremlin.
...
Off the back of the strikes, Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said there were "no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine—neither by the British, nor by the French, nor by us, nor by the Americans."
Kyiv will be able to more effectively hit targets deep inside Russian territory, which it has largely been unable to do "until recently," Merz said during an appearance at a conference in the German capital on Monday. One unnamed German government official told the Reuters news agency this was not a change in policy from Berlin.
What To Know
Probed on his remarks during a press conference in Finland on Tuesday, Merz said countries that had imposed limits on how far into Russia Ukraine could fire Western weapons had "long since abandoned these requirements."
"Yesterday in Berlin I described something that has been the case for months, namely that Ukraine has the right to use the weapons it receives beyond its own borders against military targets on Russian territory," Merz said. "In my view, this is necessary, because if you only fend off an attack on your own territory, you can't defend yourself enough."
Previous U.S. President Joe Biden had greenlit Ukraine's use of long-range U.S. weapons, namely the ground-based Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) ballistic missiles furnished to Kyiv in small numbers, back in November as his administration prepared to leave office.
The U.K. has sent its Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles and France its equivalent to Ukraine. Shortly after the U.S. consented to ATACMS use in Russia, Ukraine fired Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for first time, reports indicated in November.
The British Defense Ministry does not typically comment on how Ukraine uses weapons donated by London.
Germany, under the previous government stewarded by Olaf Scholz, refused to sign off on deliveries of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, which are broadly similar to Storm Shadow. Merz, who advocated for Taurus to be included in aid packages for Kyiv while in opposition, said earlier this month Berlin will no longer disclose which weapons are being funneled into Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday the "dangerous" decisions worked against efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, according to comments reported by Russian state media. U.S.-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Monday Peskov's statement was part of a Russian effort to "persuade Western states to cease military support for Ukraine."
Yet for Ukraine, it's all about the stockpiles of missiles, rather than public proclamations about permission to use them, Merezhko said on Tuesday.
The green light to fire long-range missiles at Russia means little if "our cupboard is totally empty," added Ivan Stupak, a former officer with Ukraine's SBU security service.
Ukraine is thought to have received relatively small donations of long-range Western weapons, often using long-range strike drones to attack far over the border or its homegrown long-range missile stockpiles, which have never been subject to restrictions.
"Low stocks of long-range strike weapons in the inventories of European countries is a serious concern," William Freer, a research fellow in national security at the U.K.-based think tank, the Council on Geostrategy, told Newsweek. The Taurus missiles Berlin has so far refused to send, which would have no limits on how they're used, "would provide a boost to Ukraine's fortunes on the front line," Freer added.
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Monday Russia had launched more than 900 drones at Ukraine in three days, mixed in with ballistic and cruise missile strikes.
"There is no military logic in this, but it is a clear political choice of Russia," Zelensky said.
Russia launched nearly 300 drones and 69 missiles of different types, including hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles, in overnight strikes into the early hours of Sunday, Ukraine's air force said at the weekend. The strikes killed at least 12 people, according to Ukrainian officials, marking the largest aerial attack on Ukraine of the war.
The following day, the Ukrainian military said Russia had launched another 355 drones and nine cruise missiles overnight.
Laborious peace talks, which Trump hoped to quickly wrap up, have failed to yield a peace agreement. Trump has suggested he believes Russian officials have been dragging their feet over in talks, which Ukraine has repeatedly said. Kyiv agreed in March to a 30-day full ceasefire, but Moscow has not yet consented to the deal.
"I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him," Trump said in a post to Truth Social late on Sunday, after the waves of Russian strikes. "He has gone absolutely CRAZY!"
"He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers," Trump added. "Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever."
But Trump, who has heaped pressure on a Ukraine largely dependent on the U.S. for military aid, has consistently criticized Zelensky, adding on Sunday: "Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop."
The Kremlin called the comments an "emotional overload."
What People Are Saying
Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said of the West's loosening of missile range restrictions on Monday: "This is a rather dangerous decision."
What Happens Next
It's not clear whether Trump's senior officials will be able to make any headway in negotiations with Russia on a ceasefire.
Update 5/27/2025 at 11 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Correction 5/28/2025 at 10:31 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Oleksandr Merezhko's name.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines