According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Ukraine is also allowed to fire long-range missiles supplied by Paris at Russia “in the logic of self-defense”. However, the minister did not say whether this had actually already happened in an interview published in advance by the British broadcaster BBC. There was no mention of a formal or recently formulated permission; rather, Barrot reiterated France’s well-known position.
A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said President Emmanuel Macron had already said in May during his state visit to Germany that Ukraine must be able to neutralize Russian military targets directly involved in operations against its territory. International law is clear: Ukraine has the right to defend itself.
Paris: Shelling Russia is part of self-defense
«This right is not limited to Ukrainian territory. The possibility that long-range missiles could hit Russia is part of Ukraine’s self-defense, which is fighting to defend the integrity of its territory, and part of the security of Europeans,” the spokesman said.
This week, Ukraine reportedly fired long-range US-made ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles at military targets in Russia. France, in collaboration with Great Britain, began supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles in July 2023 – the French name for the missiles is Scalp.
Russia speaks of a “death knell” for Ukraine
Moscow sharply criticized the French Foreign Minister’s comments. The authorization to use long-range missiles against Russia is “not support for Ukraine, but rather a death knell for Ukraine,” said Foreign Office spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to the state news agency Tass. (DPA)
