Germany,Ukraine to jointly produce long-range weapons - Merz

He said both countries' defence ministers would sign a memorandum of understanding for the production of long-range weapons systems, declining to provide technical details or name the manufacturers involved.

"There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory," he told a joint press conference.

Zelensky's Berlin visit comes days after Russia launched some of its heaviest missile and drone attacks of the conflict on Ukraine, and as US President Donald Trump has voiced growing frustration with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

The Ukrainian president accused Russia of stalling peace talks and said Moscow did not want to halt its three-year invasion, adding that "they will constantly look for reasons not to end the war".

Merz said that "the massive air strikes, particularly on the city of Kyiv over the weekend, do not speak the language of peace, but rather the language of a war of aggression".

"This is a slap in the face of all those who are trying to bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine itself, but also in Europe and the USA."

He warned that "the Russian side's refusal to hold talks, the refusal to observe a ceasefire, now really has consequences, and we are drawing these consequences every day".

Merz also pointed to reports that Russia and American investors are hoping to resume Russian gas deliveries through the destroyed Nord Stream pipelines running through the Baltic Sea and vowed that Germany will "do everything" to ensure this won't happen.

- 'MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION' -

Merz, who took power early this month, has vowed to keep strongly backing Ukraine, but without giving details of which weapons Germany is sending, in line with a policy of strategic ambiguity.

The joint production of long-range weapons "can take place both in Ukraine and here in Germany," he said. "We will not provide any further details until further notice."

Merz hailed the project as "the beginning of a new form of military-industrial cooperation between our countries that has great potential".

Merz had pointed out in a TV interview this week that already "there are no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine -- neither by the British nor by the French nor by us nor by the Americans".

"This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia... With very few exceptions, it didn't do that until recently. It can now do that."

Taking over from centre-left leader Olaf Scholz, Merz has changed the tone in Berlin and voiced harsh criticism of Putin who, the chancellor charged this week, "obviously sees offers of talks as a sign of weakness".

Trump, who has long promised he would broker a quick end to the war, issued a rare rebuke of Putin on social media on Sunday.

"I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!"

On Tuesday, Trump charged that Putin was "playing with fire", as the Wall Street Journal and CNN both reported that the US president was now considering fresh sanctions against Russia.

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