Germany scraps range limits on arms sent to Kyiv

Germany says it will scrap the range restrictions on weapons sent to Ukraine, joining the U.S., the UK and France who had earlier lifted the restrictions to allow Ukraine to better target Russian territory.

Lee Seung-jae reports.

Germany has joined other Western supporters of Ukraine in removing range restrictions on weapons being delivered to Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday announced that his country will be joining the likes of the United States, the UK, and France in lifting the restrictions, in order to allow Ukraine to be better able to hit military targets on Russian territory.

Merz says while there will be opposition from some EU member nations, including Hungary and Slovakia, it won't stop Germany and other bloc members from their continuous support of Ukraine.

The German Chancellor also said a small minority could not be allowed to "determine the decisions of the entire European Union" and that by removing restrictions on weapons, Ukraine can now defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia.

In response, Russia called the decision "dangerous," saying it would be detrimental to any chance of a peace deal, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday, saying such decisions are "completely at odds" with any hopes for a political settlement.

The Western allies of Ukraine had initially restricted the use of long-range missiles to targets only within Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation.

However, after the dispatch of North Korean troops to the Kursk region, the U.S. and the UK began authorizing the use of long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia.

Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.