German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on 13 September reaffirmed Berlin’s decision not to send long-range missiles to Ukraine, even as other Western powers discussed allowing Kyiv more freedom to use such weapons against Russian targets, AFP reports.

Scholz stated:

“Germany has made a clear decision about what we will do and what we will not do. This decision will not change,” he said, addressing questions about providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles.

The Chancellor’s statement came as US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer were set to meet in Washington to discuss potentially allowing Ukraine to fire Western-provided long-range missiles into Russia. This option has heightened tensions with Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin warning that such a move would mean NATO was “at war” with Russia.

While the United States and Britain have supplied Ukraine with ATACMS and Storm Shadow long-range missiles respectively, Germany has consistently refused to send its Taurus missiles, citing concerns about “escalating” the conflict.

Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented that what the US and Britain agree upon “remains their business,” adding that allowing Ukraine to strike targets in Russia would be “fully in line with international law.”

Despite being the second-largest contributor of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, Germany plans to halve its budget for that aid next year.

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