MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/ Russia may respond to the Western countries' lifting of restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Kiev, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu told the media following the 13th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues.

Shoigu was asked to comment on the contentious statements made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the lifting of restrictions on the range of weapons provided to Ukraine.

"They lifted the restrictions, then they didn’t, then they did again, then they didn’t, and finally, they lifted them a long time ago. It’s reminiscent of a hesitant high school girl on a serious date. Did they lift them or not? As for our response, believe me, we have measures ready to counter their actions," he stated.

Earlier on Thursday, Merz reiterated that he does not rule out the possibility of supplying Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. However, he emphasized that providing such weapons within the next six months to a year "will not help Ukraine today," as Germany is focused on delivering immediate military assistance.

On May 26, Merz announced that Germany was lifting all restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Kiev by Berlin and its allies. He noted that a similar decision had been made by the U.S., Britain, and France. Two days later, on May 28, during a joint press conference with Vladimir Zelensky in Berlin, the German chancellor confirmed that there are no longer any limitations on the range of strikes on Russian territory when supplying weapons to Kiev.

This shift contrasts with his earlier statement on May 15, when he declared that Germany had no plans to supply such missiles and suggested that their importance for Ukraine was overstated.