Berlin, Kyiv forge partnership to jointly produce long-range weapons in Ukraine

Ukraine and Germany have formalized a significant defense partnership through a letter of intent that aims to produce long-range weapons within Ukraine. 

Announced on May 28, it was signed between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during their meeting in Berlin.

“We signed a Letter of Intent under which Germany will fund the purchase of Ukrainian long-range capabilities worth hundreds of millions of euros,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said. “This is a direct boost to our defence industry and the Defence Forces that operate deep-strike systems.”

The agreement marks a pivotal shift in Germany’s military support strategy for Ukraine and follows Berlin’s earlier promise to invest directly in Ukraine’s defense manufacturing, according to the German Defense Ministry.

“Ukraine still has significant production capacity in reserve and the necessary technology to manufacture modern systems,” the above-mentioned ministry said.

Significant production of long-range weapons is scheduled for this year. The initiative aims to leverage existing technologies and facilities to create modern weapons systems.

“These systems will be rapidly delivered to Ukrainian forces — the first could enter service within weeks. The Ukrainian army is already using similar systems, so no additional training is needed,” the statement said.

Ukraine and Germany also signed other major investment agreements aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities, according to Ukraine’s presidential office.

“The President noted that an agreement has been reached on investment in drone manufacturing in Ukraine. In addition, representatives of the two governments signed agreements on construction and the development of production facilities,” the statement read.

Germany has also approved a new military aid package for Ukraine worth around 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion). The package includes ammunition, ground-based weaponry, small arms, and funding for military communications and medical equipment made in Ukraine.

According to German tabloid Bild, Berlin is planning to finance the development and production of cruise missiles in Ukraine with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles). The specific models have not yet been disclosed. 

Such weapons would enable Ukraine to strike strategic targets deep inside Russian territory.