The United States has approved the sale of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, marking a major step in strengthening the country's defence capabilities. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the decision on Thursday while addressing lawmakers in parliament. The approval comes after months of uncertainty over the future of the planned deployment.

Merz said the agreement was reached during the NATO meeting in Ankara. He told parliament, "On the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Ankara, we agreed with the American government that American Tomahawk missiles will be purchased by us and stationed in Germany." The announcement confirms that Germany will move ahead with the purchase and deployment of the missiles.

The chancellor said the move will improve Germany's military preparedness. He stated, "The move will close an important strategic gap in our defences". He also stressed that Germany will continue working on strengthening Europe's own defence capabilities. Merz added, "At the same time we will work on developing our own European systems and stationing them in Europe."

The latest announcement comes after Merz raised doubts in May about the future of the deployment. At that time, he suggested that the plan, which former US President Joe Biden had announced, might not go ahead. Merz had pointed to reduced missile stockpiles following the wars in Iran and Ukraine as the main reason for the uncertainty.

The decision also follows tensions between Merz and US President Donald Trump over the conflict involving Iran. In April, Merz said that Iran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table. His remarks drew strong criticism from Washington. Trump also responded by saying that Merz was doing a "terrible" job as Germany's chancellor.

Tomahawk cruise missiles are among the most well-known long-range precision weapons used by the United States. Military forces mainly launch them from submarines and warships. The missiles can strike targets located more than 1,600 kilometres, or around 1,000 miles, away. Their long range allows armed forces to hit distant targets with high accuracy while operating from sea.

Germany's decision to acquire the missiles reflects its effort to strengthen national security and improve its long-range strike capability. At the same time, the government plans to invest in European defence systems to reduce future dependence on foreign military technology.