The Ukrainian president welcomed the American decision, followed by several NATO members, to authorize kyiv to strike targets on Russian soil with Western weapons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Friday, May 31, “a step forward” after the green light, subject to conditions, given by the United States concerning the use of its weapons against targets on Russian soil.
The day before, American President Joe Biden, who had refused to do so until now, accepted that the Ukrainians would strike targets on Russian territory near the Kharkiv region (north-east) in certain cases, according to an American official who requested anonymity. This can be done “in order to retaliate when Russian forces attack them or prepare to attack them” in this area, this Source clarified to several media including Politico.
“This is a step forward towards this goal (…) of defending our people who live in the villages located along the border” with Russia, reacted Volodymyr Zelensky during the third Ukraine-Europe summit from the North to Stockholm.
American turnaround
Western countries on Friday showed growing, albeit nuanced, support for Ukraine’s use of their weapons against Russia within its borders. Germany thus estimated that the Ukrainians could use its equipment against military targets in Russia, particularly in response to the offensive launched on May 10 by Moscow and which continues in the Kharkiv region.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, recalled that Ukraine had the “right” to defend itself with the weapons at its disposal, “including those we have delivered”.
Washington’s decision marks a turnaround, with the United States previously fearing that such a measure would bring NATO into direct conflict with Russia.
American weapons already used, according to Moscow
On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov assured that American weapons were “already used to try to strike Russian territory.” He saw it as proof of “the degree of involvement of the United States in this conflict”. On Thursday, Russia had already criticized the Atlantic Alliance for launching “a new cycle of escalation”.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that he only saw “efforts” by Russian President Vladimir Putin “to prevent NATO allies from supporting Ukraine.”
Jens Stoltenberg has been calling for several days on Western capitals to lift restrictions that “tie the hands behind the backs of Ukrainians”. He recalled that the use of Western weapons for strikes on Russian soil had received support from other countries, citing the delivery of equipment “without any restrictions” on its use by the United Kingdom.
NATO members divided
France announced this week that it was also in favor, judging that Ukraine had the right to defend itself by targeting military targets.
However, some member states of the Atlantic Alliance do not share this opinion. The head of Italian diplomacy Antonio Tajani thus affirmed that “for Italy, it is impossible to use our weapons outside Ukraine”. “We are not fighting against Russia. We are defending Ukraine, and it is not the same thing,” he declared.
The United States, for its part, remains opposed to Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory, underlined the American official previously cited.
“Our position on prohibiting the use of ATACMS or deep strikes inside Russia has not changed,” he said, referring to long-range missiles supplied by his country.
The green light from the United States for strikes on Russian targets near Kharkiv was obtained after weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, following the launch of the Russian offensive in this region. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, in the northeast, has since been bombarded almost daily.
