Ukraine: Merz announces long-range weapons with Zelenskyy

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not rule out a delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. 

"It is certainly within the realm of possibility," he said in response to a question on the ZDF public broadcaster.

Merz pointed out that it would take several months to train Ukrainian soldiers to use the system.

According to Merz, a delivery in six months or a year would be "of no use to Ukraine today." This is why military support for Ukraine is increasing, he added.

Earlier in the day, during his meeting with Merz in Berlin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again expressed his hope that the Taurus cruise missiles would be delivered.

Zelenskyy first requested the missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers, from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government two years ago

However, Scholz refused because he feared it would draw Germany into the war. At the time, Merz criticized Scholz, saying that he favors delivering the Taurus.

Ukraine has said that it is ready for more direct talks with Russia, but has demanded that Moscow provide its peace terms in advance to ensure that the meeting is productive.

"We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their memorandum," Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in a post on X.

"The Russian side has at least four more days before their departure to provide us with their document for review," he added.

Rustem reiterated that Russia had previously promised to hand over the 'memorandum' immediately after the biggest-ever prisoner exchange between Russian and Ukraine, which took place over the weekend.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russia had proposed holding the next round of peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on 2 June.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to Washington for his first official visit to the United States.

In light of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, Wadephul is relying on close cooperation with the United States.

"In many issues, as we were able to ascertain again today, we share the same interests and goals — for example, when it comes to a sustainable peace for Ukraine," the German minister said after meeting with Rubio.

"We both want an immediate ceasefire. This has been repeatedly stressed," he added.

Wadephul said he and Rubio agreed to closely coordinate the next steps "so that [Russian President] Valdimir Putin finally comes to the negotiating table, so that Russia finally enters into serious negotiations."

It was important to maintain the pressure, Wadephul stressed.

He also sharply rejected the Russian accusation of warmongering regarding Germany's commitment to Ukraine for joint missile construction.

"If there is anyone who is not allowed to talk about warmongering, then it is (Kremlin spokesman Dmitry) Peskov, because he and his regime are not only doing this verbally, but are actually waging an illegal war that violates international law," the German minister said.

Wadephul's trip precedes a planned visit by Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the US to meet with President Donald Trump. No date has been set yet.

US President Donald Trump said he is holding off on new sanctions against Russia because he doesn't want penalties to interfere with his attempts to negotiate a ceasfire in Ukraine.

"If I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 

Trump said he would know within two weeks whether Russia was willing to reach a deal to end the three-year-old war.

The US president also said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may be intentionally delaying negotiations on a ceasefire and expressed disappointment regarding recent Russian bombings of Ukrainian cities.

"We're going to find out whether or not he's tapping us along or not, and if he is, we'll respond a little differently," Trump said.

The US president is trying to make a deal to end the war that he had promised during his election campaign to solve in 24 hours.

According to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russia has proposed holding the next round of peace talks with Ukraine on June 2 in Istanbul.

"The Russian side, as agreed, has promptly developed a relevant memorandum, which sets out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis," he said.

Lavrov added that the Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinskiy, is prepared to present the memorandum to the Ukrainian side and to provide necessary clarifications during the direct talks in Istanbul next Monday.

Ukraine has not yet commented on the announcement.

On May 16, delegations from Ukraine and Russia convened in Istanbul for the first direct talks in over three years.

However, the only tangible outcome of the negotiations was the largest prisoner of war exchange, in which each side exchanged 1,000 prisoners.

The Kremlin has responded to comments made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday about plans for the joint production of long-range weapons with Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the decision by Merz was a further provocation of the war in Ukraine. 

"This is a very dangerous trend, an irresponsible position that Germany is taking," Peskov said.

Merz said at a news conference with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that weapons produced during the collaboration could be used to attack targets within Russia.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin will help Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets in Russian territory.

"There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory," he said, adding that the weapons could be produced "both in Ukraine and here in Germany."

His remarks made at a joint press conference with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came after Merz earlier this week said in a TV interview that Ukraine's allies were not longer putting range restrictions on arms provided to Kyiv. 

Merz said on Wednesday that defense ministers from both countries would sign a memorandum of understanding for the production of long-range weapons systems.

However, he declined to provide technical details or name the manufacturers involved.

Merz hailed the project as "the beginning of a new form of military-industrial cooperation between our countries that has great potential."

Western allies of Ukraine have previously voiced fears that attacks within Russia using weapons supplied from abroad could draw Moscow's ire toward the manufacturing countries.

Notably, since taking office, Merz has been tight-lipped about supplying Kyiv with German long-range Taurus missiles despite advocating their delivery while in opposition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday accused Russia of stalling peace talks, saying Moscow had no intention of halting its more than three-year-long invasion.

"They will constantly look for reasons not to end the war," Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Among other things, Zelenskyy criticized Russia for not having agreed to a location for the next round of negotiations.

Moscow has recently seemed to reject an offer made by Pope Leo XIV to hold peace talks in the Vatican, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying his country had "no plans" regarding the location or time of future negotiation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said that NATO should invite Kyiv to a summit of the Western military alliance in June, warning that if his country were not there, it would be a victory for Russia.

"If Ukraine is not present at the NATO summit, it will be a victory for Putin, but not over Ukraine, but over NATO. Therefore, the decision lies with our partners," Zelenskyy told a press conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that NATO chief Mark Rutte wanted Ukraine to attend the summit, but no invitation has yet been issued.

German ministers are planning joint consultations with the Ukrainian government this year, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Merz said Germany and Ukraine had established closer ties since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022. 

"We want to expand this further and, towards the end of the year, we will have German-Ukrainian government consultations again for the first time in many years," said Merz.

At a press conference with Zelenskyy, Merz emphasized that Germany could cooperate with Ukraine in many sectors, including energy, infrastructure, construction and medical technology.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged his country's continued support of Ukraine amid Russia's invasion but has also said ties with Kyiv should be extended into a future beyond the war.

Speaking at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Merz also said his government would work toward ensuring that the gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 is not recommissioned.

"We will continue to increase the pressure on Russia," Merz said. "We will do everything in this context to ensure that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into operation."

He also said that Europe would continue to step up pressure on Russia in a bid to stop the war.

At the same time, Merz highlighted the role of the US in bringing about peace, thanking the US president for what he had done in this regard in the past few weeks.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin as Ukraine seeks further military support for its war with Russia.

Since entering office, Merz has taken part in efforts to secure a ceasefire between Ukraineand Russia, while also pledging Germany's support for Ukraine.

Berlin has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the US.

A day before traveling to Germany, Zelenskyy reiterated his willingness to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimiar Putin. 
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia has gathered 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northern Sumy region.

Speaking to reporters, he added Kyiv had taken steps to prevent Moscow from conducting a large-scale offensive there.

"Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front," Zelenskyy said. "To push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region."

The build-up of troops comes as Russia appears to be preparing for a summer offensive in Ukraine while Kyiv waits for Moscow to present a memorandum laying out its conditions to proceed with ceasefire talks. 

Putin has said he wants a "buffer zone" along Russia's border with Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said Kyiv believes that Russia seeks to establish a buffer zone of about 10 kilometres (6 miles).

Sumy lies on the border of Russia's Kursk region. Russia has captured at least four border villages in the area recently, and has been moving slowly forwards over the past several weeks on parts of the frontline in eastern Ukraine near the city of Kostyantynivka.

However, Zelenskyy said that the Russians had been pushed back in that area by 4 km (2.5 miles) over the last two days.

Ukraine launched almost 300 drones in one of the largest attempted attacks atRussia, including dozens targeting the capital Moscow, Russian authorities said.

"Anti-aircraft defense systems destroyed and intercepted 296 aerial drones," the Russian defense ministry said in a statement, with at least 42 being shot down over the Moscow region, according to Governor Andrey Vorobyov.

This comes after Moscow's record drone attack on the country over the weekend, which Kyiv said killed at least 13 people.

Ukraine said that Russia launched more than 900 drones in the three days up to Monday.
 

US President Donald Trump's envoy, Keith Kellogg, said a Russianofficial stoking fears of a third World War was "unfortunate" and "reckless."

"President Trump is working to stop this war and end the killing," Kellogg posted on the platform X. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. 

This comes after Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, commented on Trumps remarks, in which he said President Vladimir Putin was "playing with fire" over Ukraine.

"I know of one REALLY BAD thing — World War III. I hope Trump understands this," Medvedev said on his X account.