A German government spokesman has rejected concerns that the country could be seen as a party to the conflict in Ukraine as a result of its decision to allow Ukraine to use German-supplied weapons to strike military targets in Russia.
"It was always clear that by providing weapons to Ukraine, we would not become part of the war and not a party to it," Deputy Government Spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said in Berlin on Friday.
It had also never been disputed under international law that Ukraine was allowed to defend itself against Russia's ongoing invasion, which violates international law, Büchner said.
The German government announced on Friday that it was lifting conditions that had restricted Ukraine from using German-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory.
Several other Western countries have also made similar decisions in recent days. Germany and others cited Russia's current military offensive against the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is located near the Russian border, to justify the change.
When asked if the German decision explicitly applied to the defence of Kharkiv, Büchner said there was a "factual connection."
The change of course had something to do with "the development of the war and with close coordination with [Germany's] closest partners," he said.