Berlin allows Ukraine to use German weapons against targets in Russia
Germany authorizes Ukraine to use German weapons against military targets in Russia to defend itself from attacks launched by Moscow, particularly in the Kharkiv region, Chancellor’s spokesperson Olaf Scholz announced on Friday. “Ukraine has the right, guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against these attacks. To do this, it can also use the weapons provided for this purpose., “including those we have delivered”Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.
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The day before, Joe Biden also gave the green light for Ukraine to strike targets on Russian soil, in the Kharkiv region, under certain conditions, an American official said. “The president has given his team the task of ensuring that Ukraine can use American weapons to counterattack in the Kharkiv region, so as to retaliate when Russian forces attack them or prepare to attack them », said this Source. The official, who requested anonymity, added, however, that the United States continued to oppose Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory. “Our position on prohibiting the use of ATACMS or deep strikes inside Russia has not changed”he said.
Kai Pfaffenbach / REUTERS
On Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron estimated that kyiv should be allowed to “neutralize” the military bases from which Russia fires its missiles against Ukrainian territory, in the midst of a debate on the use of Western weapons in Russia. “We must allow them to neutralize the military sites from which the missiles are fired (…) the military sites from which Ukraine is attacked”declared the French head of state during a press conference alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Meseberg Castle, near Berlin. “If we tell them you do not have the right to reach the point from which the missiles are fired, in fact we tell them, we are giving you weapons but you cannot defend yourself”pointed out Macron, on the last day of a state visit to Germany. “But we must not allow other targets in Russia and obviously civilian capabilities to be hit”he clarified.
