Berlin: Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, stated that Berlin was hesitant to give Kiev longer-range munitions because it feared a potential escalation should Ukraine choose to use them to attack Russian territory. 

The chancellor was questioned about this and other topics in a lengthy interview with the German state-run ARD on Sunday. She was asked why Berlin rejects to give Kiev long-range cruise missiles.

"We carefully review every request we get. We don't want the weapons we provide to be used to attack Russian territory, which is a principle I share with the US president, Scholz said to ARD journalist Tina Hassel.

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Vladimir Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, reportedly informed Scholz that Kiev "urgently wants" Swedish-German Taurus KEPD 350 missiles during their May meeting in Berlin. The 500kg warhead-equipped air-launched munition has a maximum range of 500km (310 miles).

Ukraine has pressed its Western backers for more advanced weaponry as the conflict has progressed. After obtaining a commitment for dozens of Leopard 2 and 1, M1 Abrams, and Challenger 2 main battle tanks from several EU countries, the US, and the UK, Kiev has increased its demands for NATO to provide it with fighter jets - specifically the US-made F-16 - in recent months.

Berlin has repeatedly stated that it has no desire to escalate tensions with Moscow by delivering new weaponry to Kiev on its own without first consulting its NATO allies.

Until Washington promised to send some of its Abrams tanks, too, later this year, Germany had resisted calls to "release the Leopards." Taurus missile delivery in the near future was ruled out by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in June.

The only country that has so far given Kiev longer-range missiles is the UK. According to the Russian military, Kiev has already used the Storm Shadow, a weapon with a range of more than 250 km, to attack civilian facilities in the Russian city of Lugansk and other locations far from the frontline in the Donbass.

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Following suit, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that his nation would also give Kiev its version of the Storm Shadow, known as SCALP-EGs, although it is still unclear when they will be delivered.

The supply of its long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) has not yet received approval from Washington. The MGM-140 ATACMS, made by Lockheed Martin, is a tactical ballistic missile with a maximum range of 300 kilometres (190 miles). The M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS platforms, both of which the US has already given to Ukraine, can fire the missiles.

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But weeks into a much-hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive that has so far failed to produce any significant gains, the Wall Street Journal reported last week that the decision to send ATACMS is now "pending approval at the highest levels."