Zelensky arrives in Germany for talks with Merz amid Taurus missile speculation
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Berlin on May 28 for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as Germany seeks to project continued support for Kyiv in the face of Russian aggression.
The two leaders will discuss Germany’s military assistance and ceasefire efforts, a German government spokesperson said. Zelensky is also expected to meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The visit comes amid renewed speculation of a potential delivery of Taurus missiles, Germany’s cruise missiles capable of striking targets at a distance of 500 kilometers (300 miles).
Before becoming chancellor, Merz, elected for the CDU/CSU conservative alliance, signaled he would overturn his predecessor, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz’s, ban on delivering the missiles to Ukraine.
Kyiv has called upon Germany to provide the weapons to be able to strike targets deep inside the Russian rear, while Scholz has ruled out the move due to fears of escalation.
Merz is yet to greenlight the deliveries, as a change of policy on Taurus missiles has become a point of contention between the CDU/CSU and their Social Democratic (SPD) coalition partners.
Adding to the confusion, the German chancellor declared earlier this week that Berlin and other Western partners have lifted all range restrictions on arms provided to Ukraine, which some saw as a signal of an incoming change of policy on Taurus missiles.
Merz later clarified he was referring to a step made months ago, and German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil confirmed that the new government has made no new decision in this regard.
Earlier in May, the German government announced that it would no longer publish arms it had delivered to Ukraine, meaning that a potential supply of Taurus missiles may not be announced to the public.
Speaking to journalists in Kyiv on May 27, Zelensky said he would discuss the issue of long-range arms for Ukraine with Merz, adding he has not heard any signals about a change in policy.
Ukraine has previously received long-range missiles from the U.S., the U.K., and France — including ATACMS, Storm Shadow, and SCALP — but was initially permitted to deploy them only against Russian military forces in occupied Ukrainian territories.
Only in late 2024, the Biden administration and other allies eased the restrictions, allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russian military targets on Russian territory.
Germany has been Ukraine’s leading military donor on the continent, and its support is even more crucial for Kyiv now as U.S. backing grows increasingly uncertain under President Donald Trump.
Merz has repeatedly called for a united European response to unrelenting Russian aggression in Ukraine and pledged to impose tougher sanctions if Moscow continues to reject a ceasefire.
The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post