Ukraine-Germany Will Produce Long-range Missiles, Increase Pressure On Russia

JAKARTA - Germany and Ukraine will develop production of the long-range missile industry. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised to continue to put greater pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Berlin, Merz said his government would not impose any range limits on productionable missiles in Ukraine and Germany.

"We want to activate long-range weapons, we also want to activate production together, and we will not talk about the details publicly but will intensify cooperation," he told a joint news conference with Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy said the two agreed to cooperate in weapons production in Ukraine, including drones. Government officials have signed an agreement on the construction and development of production facilities.

"These new projects already exist," he said.

"We just want the numbers to be as we need them," Zelenskyy continued.

Zelenskyy's visit to Germany came after Ukrainian and Russian officials met this month for face-to-face negotiations, under pressure from US President Donald Trump to end the war.

However, the negotiations failed to produce a ceasefire agreement and Russia launched a massive three-night airstrike against Ukraine over the weekend.

Moscow has also amassed 50,000 troops near the Sumy region in northern Ukraine, Zelenskiy told reporters.

The military measures did not "talk in peace", Merz said.

"This is a slap in the face for everyone fighting for a ceasefire, in Ukraine itself, but also in Europe and the US." he said.

Russia has accused Ukraine of significantly increasing drone and missile attacks on Russian territory over the past week using Western-backed ammunition.

PRESSURE ON RUSSIA

Merz said Europe would continue to increase pressure on Russia to engage in peace negotiations to end Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War - including ensuring that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline could not operate.

Russia's requirement to end the war in Ukraine includes demands that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop NATO's eastward expansion, three Russian sources told Reuters.

Zelenskyy said some partners had signaled their support for Ukraine to join the upcoming NATO summit.

"If Ukraine does not attend the summit, it will be Putin's victory not over Ukraine, but over NATO," he said.

With Trump signaling shaky support for Ukraine in recent months, Germany could play an increasingly important role as Ukraine's biggest military and financial support after the United States.

Merz, a conservative who took office this month, vowed to take on more leadership roles in ensuring support for Ukraine than its predecessor from Social Democrat Olaf Scholz.

Merz visited Ukraine with other European leaders within days of being the chancellor and his support for Ukraine's right to launch long-range missile attacks on Russian territory has contrasted Scholz's cautious rhetoric on the matter.

However, his government said it would no longer publicly specify what weapons would be sent to Ukraine, and preferred the "strategic ambiguity" stance.