Germany-based analyst Oleksandr Holubov said this on Espreso TV.“The first hint came regarding Taurus. Just recently, Friedrich Merz said on a talk show that even if Ukraine uses Taurus missiles to strike Russian territory, Germany would not be considered a party to the war—because it would be Ukrainian soldiers operating them,” Holubov explained.In his view, this statement served a clear purpose:“To prepare German public opinion for the reality that Taurus missiles will end up in Ukraine and might be used against targets on officially recognized Russian territory. There’s been an ongoing debate that such strikes could make Germany a participant in the war, and so on.”Holubov also noted that Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on the issue, “deliberately trying to press Germany’s sore spot.” However, he said, “Merz and others seem to be slowly realizing they no longer need to look to the U.S. for guidance on this matter.”“Perhaps they also sense that Trump’s own stance is shifting, and that any serious talks with him about peace deals with Russia may not be realistic anymore. Even Trump himself may no longer believe in such a deal. This could give Berlin more room to act independently—without provoking Washington,” the analyst added.He emphasized that this is his personal forecast, not based on insider information.“But I believe we’ll hear news of Taurus deliveries—or even use—very soon. I don’t think the use will happen immediately, though I hope preparations have been ongoing and the process will be accelerated. In any case, I expect movement on this issue,” he said.Holubov also expects an overall increase in financial and military aid to Ukraine.“We may see announcements of new aid packages. I wouldn’t be surprised if Germany even starts funding purchases of American-made weapons for Ukraine’s defense—like Patriot interceptors or even new Patriot batteries. Merz also made vague comments hinting at that,” he concluded.