On Monday, outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed support for discussions on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to strike Russian territory. However, the final decision on this issue should be made by individual allies. Reuters reports UNN.
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For months now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been calling on allies to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles, including the US long-range ATACMS and the UK's Storm Shadow, to strike Russian targets deep inside Russia to limit Moscow's ability to launch attacks.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden held talks in Washington on Friday, discussing the possibility of allowing Kyiv to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia. However, no decision was announced.
“I welcome these discussions and these decisions, but the final decision has to be made by the individual allies,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with LBC radio. “Allies have different policies on this issue.
Some U.S. officials are deeply skeptical that authorizing the use of such missiles will make a significant contribution to Kyiv's fight against Russian invaders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the West will directly fight against Russia if it allows Ukraine to strike with Western long-range missiles.
When asked about a possible Russian response, Stoltenberg said that there are no “risk-free options” in war.
“But I continue to believe that the biggest risk for us, for the UK, for NATO, is if President Putin wins in Ukraine,” he added.