Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to leave Berlin with a new €5 billion arms package, aimed at bolstering his country’s arsenal and enhancing its ability to produce weapons domestically. The package includes financing for the joint production of long-range missiles, enabling Kyiv to strike targets deep into Russia.
The agreement also covers air defense systems, additional weapons, ammunition, “command and operational” capabilities, and medical assistance. However, a key component that was expected – Germany’s approval for Ukraine’s use of its Taurus long-range missiles – has been noticeably absent from the announcement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had previously campaigned on ensuring Ukraine received these missiles, but his own coalition government appears to have disagreements over this issue. Merz stated that Germany will continue to support Ukraine’s defense efforts, with a focus on industrial military cooperation between the two countries.
The deal signifies a significant step in deepening co-operation between Germany and Ukraine, particularly in arms procurement. The German defense ministry has announced plans to invest more directly in Ukrainian production in the future.
This new package comes as both Zelensky and Merz expressed frustration with Russia regarding peace negotiations, citing the lack of progress on a memorandum promised by Moscow following a call between Putin and US President Donald Trump.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/28/europe/zelensky-germany-taurus-missiles-latam-intl