NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg answered why it is right now to lift restrictions on Western weapons to hit targets inside Russia, citing Ukraine's right to self-defense. He said this when he arrived at a meeting of EU defense ministers on Tuesday, UNN reports.
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We must remember what it is. This is an aggressive war. Russia attacked another country, invaded another country. And Ukraine, according to international law, has the right to self-defense, to protect itself. And the right to self-defense also includes strikes against targets outside Ukraine, legitimate military targets inside Russia. And this is especially important now. Because the heaviest fighting is now taking place in the Kharkiv region, near the Ukrainian-Russian border. And part of the border is actually the front line
"Therefore, of course, it will be very difficult and complicated for Ukrainians to defend themselves if they cannot hit military targets just on the other side of the border. It could be rocket launchers. It could be artillery. It could be airfields that are used to attack Ukraine. And if Ukraine cannot hit these military targets, it will be much harder for them to defend themselves," Stoltenberg said.
Asked why he does not see the risk of escalation "like Germany, like US President Joe Biden," Stoltenberg said, in particular, that "the fact that we are supplying equipment to Ukraine does not make NATO a party to the conflict." "We have the right to support Ukraine without becoming a party to the conflict, because we are helping Ukraine to defend its right to self-defense," he said.
Some NATO countries have never imposed restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine. Indeed, when they have supplied weapons to Ukraine, they are Ukrainian weapons. Again, these are national decisions. Different considerations were expressed. But I firmly believe that those allies who have decided not to impose restrictions do not make NATO a party to the conflict, and the same will of course be true of other allies
NATO Secretary General says arms restrictions for Ukraine should be considered27.05.24, 18:26