Russia has launched a blistering attack on Germany after it signed a new military deal with Ukraine in Berlin. Berlin unveiled a new arms package worth €5 billion (£4bn), after Chancellor Merz met President Volodymyr Zelensky in the German capital on Wednesday.
The agreement includes direct German investments in Ukraine’s defence industry and a broader treaty between arms manufacturers of both countries. Germany is expected to help fund the production of long-range weapons systems inside Ukraine, as part of the deal. The Defence Ministry in Berlin said a significant number of these systems are expected to be manufactured by the end of 2025.
The German newspaper Die Welt also claimed that the package includes about €400 million (£335m) for the production of Ukrainian long-range BARS and AN-196 drones, as well as Flamingo drone interceptors.
Moscow has reacted with fury to the new deal, warning Germany it risked repeating the mistakes of the past.
Asked by a TV journalist to give his comments on the agreement, Russia’s Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov said: “Germany is being directly drawn into this war.
“We already have German tanks occasionally driving around our territory. They mostly burn rather than drive.
“Direct involvement in the war is already obvious. Germany is sliding down the same slippery slope it has already followed a couple of times in the last century – down towards its collapse.”
The aid package includes another four IRIS-T air defence systems, but omitted any mention of Taurus missiles.
Kyiv has long sought to obtain the deadly missiles, which would vastly enhance its long-range strike capabilities.
The rockets would make it easier for Ukraine’s army to penetrate denser Russian fortifications.
They would also help Kyiv in its attempts to destroy the Crimean bridge, connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia ands which is an important supply route for Putin’s army.
In a post to his X social media account, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said: “Germany has committed to supporting investment in the Ukrainian defence industry and encouraging others to do the same, particularly in the area of air defence.
“Sincere thanks to our partners for their leadership and consistent support of Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression.”
