Germany has given Ukraine the green light to strike targets inside Russia using long-range weapons supplied by Berlin, in a decision that signals a notable hardening of Western resolve as the war grinds on.

A large Republican donor wants to buy a Russian pipeline to Germany. The White House has entertained the idea of working with the Kremlin to supply Russian gas to Europe.

A statement from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on May 26 about long-range strikes inside Russia resurrected a long-held hope in Ukraine — that Berlin is finally about to send Kyiv its Taurus missiles.

This demand comes after Merz said a few days ago that Kiev's Western allies have lifted the range restrictions on their missiles and will allow Ukraine to use them to attack deep into Russian territory.

At a meeting of Kyiv's allies in Brussels, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced a new initiative to organize additional air defense systems for Ukraine. DW has more.

Germany launched a fresh bid on Wednesday to chase down more air defence systems for Ukraine, which in past weeks has suffered some of the heaviest Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion in 2022.

It is also the starkest sign of the extraordinary turn taken by a country that took full receipt of the peace dividend after 1990, sheltering under American protection as its own army withered and its commercial ties with Russia strengthened (see chart 1).

Europe has the money and the artillery shells, but key U.S. capabilities like operational intelligence and air defense would be difficult to replace.