Germany is cautiously moving towards allowing Ukraine to strike military targets on Russian territory with Western weapons.
This was reported by Politico.
The publication spoke with a person familiar with the position of the German government.
This person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supports allowing the use of Western weapons against targets on Russian territory. However, this source did not provide details.
At the same time, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told journalists that “Ukraine’s defensive actions are not limited to its own territory and can be extended to the territory of the aggressor”.
He noted that he could not disclose the exact agreements with Kyiv regarding the use of German weapons, as they are “confidential.”
Hebestreit added that Scholz’s statement from a year ago, in which he said there was a “consensus” that Ukraine would not use German weapons on Russian territory, was a “statement of facts” that was true at the time but does not necessarily apply to the future.
It should be reminded that the occupiers began their offensive on Kharkiv from the neighboring Belgorod region, and some Ukrainian officials claim that the attack could have been mitigated if the Ukrainian Armed Forces were allowed to strike targets in this region of the Russian Federation.
Washington disagrees with lifting the ban on the use of American weapons for strikes on Russian rear areas, but Ukraine is increasing the pressure.
A group of congressmen has also called on the Pentagon to allow Ukraine to attack targets in Russia. Bipartisan groups of congressmen have appealed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to allow Ukraine to strike the aggressor country’s territory with U.S.-provided weapons and to expand training of Ukrainians on American F-16 fighter jets.
Lawmakers believe that Ukrainians cannot effectively defend themselves due to the Biden administration’s policy, and this needs to change. The letter was signed by 13 congressmen.
Recently, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly called on allied countries to allow Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia with Western weapons. The signatories emphasized that current efforts are insufficient for Ukraine’s victory, so NATO members must lift certain restrictions. The document was approved by a majority of over 200 legislators from all 32 countries.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala responded positively to NATO’s call. “As a country under attack, Ukraine certainly has the full right to use all means of defense,” he said, describing this position as “simply logical”.
However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni opposed this idea. “I do not know why Stoltenberg said this; I think we need to be very careful”, Meloni said.
Photo: open sources
