France, July 12 -- Hours after this week's NATO summit came to a close in Ankara, Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, that the country has agreed a deal with Washington to buy American-made Tomahawk cruise missiles and station them on German soil.

The letter of intent, signed by the two countries' defence ministries earlier this week, commits Washington to formal approval by August. It covers an undisclosed number of Tomahawks and ground-based Typhon launchers - made by arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin - without US personnel deployed to operate them.

The Tomahawk's range of around 1,600 kilometres is enough to reach deep into Russian territory from Germany. Donald Trump and Friedrich Merz meet at the Whi...