Zelenskyy had hoped for Taurus missiles from Germany - but he's left Berlin far from empty-handed

When Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to Berlin today, the big question was whether he would be leaving with a promise from Germany to supply Taurus long-range missiles.

On this, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remained tight-lipped, in public at least. But the Ukrainian leader left far from empty-handed.

Follow the latest: Kremlin hits out at Germany Germany has pledged another military support package, which it says is worth around €5bn (£4.2bn). It includes a promise to help Ukraine produce its own long-range weapons, a significant amount of which the German government says could be produced before the end of the year.

The fact that some of these weapons are already used by the Ukrainian military means no extra training is needed. This also means, in theory, they could be used much more quickly than the Taurus system, which would involve extra instruction.

Mr Merz wouldn't give a run-down of the weapons included to avoid giving Moscow a heads up, but he did reiterate that range restrictions on weapons would be lifted to allow Kyiv to hit military targets in Russia. Explainer: Would 'smart' missiles from Germany allow Ukraine to finally destroy Crimea bridge? This is a big step for Germany, which has been cautious about doing anything to provoke nuclear-armed Moscow.

The Kremlin was quick to respond, calling Germany's announcement a further provocation. While the support package isn't entirely new and has already been signed off by the German parliament, the details of what it includes are.

In addition to helping with weapons production, there will be cash for continued Starlink connection and the delivery of air defence systems and ammunition. This is the fourth time Mr Zelenskyy has visited Berlin, but his first meeting with the new chancellor in the city.

The direct tone of Mr Merz felt like a huge departure from his more cautious predecessor, Olaf Scholz. Read more from Sky News:Surgeon jailed after sexually abusing childrenOne dead after gunfire at aid hub in Gaza Mr Merz was quick in his criticism of Russia and what he said was a lack of commitment to peace talks.

Ukraine has always been grateful for the huge amount of aid Germany has provided, but in the past appeared frustrated by the time it took for some decisions to be made. Mr Merz is known for shooting from the hip, a style which so far appears to be well-received in Kyiv..