Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a press conference on May 28 in Berlin to discuss significant aspects of military cooperation.

Chancellor Merz confirmed that Germany is prepared to allocate funds for the production of Ukrainian long-range artillery systems, as reported by the Ukrinform correspondent.

Germany to Support Production of Ukrainian Long-Range Artillery

“I will refrain from disclosing details, but we plan to continue and expand our military support so that Ukraine can effectively counter Russian aggression now and in the future,” he emphasized.

A memorandum is set to be signed in Berlin between the defense ministers of Germany and Ukraine regarding cooperation in procuring domestic weapon systems.

“Today, our defense ministers will sign a memorandum of intent regarding the procurement of Ukrainian long-range weapon systems - the so-called Long-Range Fires.

This will impose no restrictions on range. This means Ukraine will be able to fully exercise its right to self-defense, including strikes on military targets beyond its own territory,” the Chancellor stated.

At the same time, Merz avoided answering whether the German government would provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles.

“I noted that this afternoon a memorandum of intent will be signed between the two defense ministers for closer cooperation in this area. We aim to provide capabilities for deploying long-range weaponry.

We also want to consider joint production, but we will not publicly disclose details; instead, we will focus on deepening our cooperation,” the Chancellor remarked in response to questions about Taurus.

Merz noted that “today we are taking the first step toward cooperation in the production of long-range weaponry between Germany and Ukraine.”

“This cooperation will also occur at the industrial level, both in Ukraine and Germany. Details will not be disclosed at this time,” he added.

Zelensky: Ukraine Needs $30 Billion for Weapon Production

Recently, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine requires $30 billion to restart its domestic arms production to defend against the Russian army.

“I would like us to receive $30 billion to fully launch only Ukrainian production,” Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday. “To give you an understanding of what war entails and its scale.”

“Essentially, this is the amount we are underloaded by for the year. I mean both the missile program and everything we are capable of producing,” he added.