Kremlin Claims Merz’s Nod to Kyiv Strikes ‘At Odds’ With Talks

The Kremlin slammed the West for reportedly lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to strike inside Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed the decision, if true, is “completely at odds” with the Kremlin’s purported “aspirations for a political (peace) settlement.”

“If these decisions have indeed been made, they are completely at odds with our aspirations for a political (peace) settlement... These are quite dangerous decisions, if they have been made,” Peskov told Russian journalist Alexander Yunashev, according to AFP.

Earlier on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there are “no longer any restrictions on the range of weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine” by the West, including the US, UK, Germany, and France.

However, Merz did not specify when the decision was made. He added there are limitations as to where Kyiv can strike without elaboration.

Merz also said Kyiv and its allies have exhausted “all diplomatic means” and should anticipate a protracted war with Moscow.

“After the last three weeks, no one can seriously accuse us of not having exhausted all available diplomatic means,” Merz said at Monday’s WDR Europaforum hosted by Germany’s WDR outlet.

The West issued a ceasefire ultimatum to Moscow in early May with threats of intensified sanctions.

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‘You Will Be Left to Suffer and Die’: Rutte Warns Young Russians Against Fighting in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte issued a stark appeal to young Russians not to fight in the war in Ukraine, saying they will be sent to the front with poor training, bad equipment and a high chance of being killed, wounded or abandoned. He backed his warning with NATO estimates that Russia is losing more than 30,000 soldiers a month – more in a single month than the Soviet Union lost during its entire 10-year war in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin responded by first proposing direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul, then a memorandum towards a ceasefire during a subsequent phone call with US President Donald Trump, neither of which resulted in the proposed ceasefire.

Over the weekend, Moscow launched large-scale aerial strikes across Ukraine using hundreds of drones and missiles for three nights in a row, to the anger of Western leaders – including Trump, who said Putin “has gone absolutely CRAZY.”

Approving long-range strikes inside Russia

The West has lifted some restrictions on Kyiv’s long-range strikes inside Russia since late 2024.

Former US President Joe Biden lifted the restrictions on US-provided ATACMS missiles in late 2024, allowing Kyiv to strike targets inside Russia along the border.

At the time, there was speculation that the change could also affect other Western long-range weapons, such as the British Storm Shadow cruise missiles, whose usage requires Washington’s authorization as they utilize elements of US technology covered by Washington’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

At present, Germany has not provided Kyiv with its Taurus missiles or any long-range weaponry. Merz also said last week that future arms agreements with Kyiv will not be publicized, according to New Voice Ukraine.

But Merz, before assuming the chancellor role in early May, has voiced openness to sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.