Introduction
This article was flagged for fact-checking due to its coverage of a major shift in Western policy: lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range Western weapons inside Russian territory. Given the sensitive geopolitical stakes, including debates around prolonging or resolving the war, it’s crucial to separate verified facts from speculation or political framing.
Historical Context
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western nations have gradually increased their military support for Kyiv, initially sending only non-lethal aid and later escalating to advanced weaponry. However, most Western-supplied weapons came with usage restrictions—especially regarding strikes inside Russian territory. These limitations were based on fears of nuclear escalation and direct NATO-Russia confrontation. Debates surrounding these policies have intensified as the war reached its fourth year in 2025.
Fact-Check: Specific Claims
Claim #1: “There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine. Neither from the British, nor from the French, nor from us. Nor by the Americans.”
This statement from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is generally accurate but needs clarification. The UK and France publicly authorized the use of their long-range missiles—Storm Shadows and SCALP—for strikes into Russian territory as early as mid-2023. The US, under former President Biden, authorized limited use of its long-range ATACMS missiles for use near the Russian border in late 2024. These decisions were case-by-case and context-specific. While Merz’s claim reflects the current policies of these nations, it glosses over the nuance in authorization (such as geolocation limits) and overlooks how recent or conditional some of these permissions are.
Sources: Washington Post, The Guardian
Claim #2: “Russia has previously openly threatened that any lifting of restrictions on long-range weapons would mean war with NATO.”
This statement is partially true, but it omits crucial context. Russian officials and President Putin have repeatedly warned that Western-supplied long-range weapons in Ukrainian hands could escalate the conflict. However, there is no public record of Russia officially declaring that it would consider such actions formal declarations of war with NATO. Instead, Russian rhetoric has used phrases like “unpredictable consequences” or “risk of escalation,” which are open-ended and often intended as deterrents rather than declared red lines.
Claim #3: “This has been the case for months” – Merz, referring to the lack of range restrictions on Western missiles to Ukraine.
This claim is misleading. While some Western allies did begin easing restrictions in late 2023 and early 2024, approval has varied by country and weapon system. For example, the U.S. hesitated to provide ATACMS until April 2024 and only recently allowed their limited use near Russian territory. Germany had not officially lifted restrictions before Merz’s announcement, and even now has not confirmed whether it will deliver the long-range Taurus missile. So, while aspects of the statement are true, framing this as a settled policy across all allies “for months” is not supported by the full timeline.
Sources: BBC, Financial Times
Conclusion
The article presents generally accurate information but omits important context that could lead readers to mistaken conclusions. While Merz’s comments reflect an evolving consensus among Ukraine’s allies, the differences in timelines and policy detail merit closer scrutiny. The claim about NATO war escalation due to lifted restrictions exaggerates Russia’s ambiguous warnings. And describing the allied consensus as something in place “for months” misrepresents the staggered nature of these policy changes. Overall, the article leans toward simplification and lacks clarity on the conditional nature of Western military support.
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Link to the Original Article
