The German government is cautiously backing away from its reservations about allowing Ukraine to hit military targets in Russia with weapons transferred to Germany.
This is stated in the material of Politico.
On Tuesday, May 28, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Ukraine can use the weapons provided by Germany "within the framework of international law", which will allow them to be used against the aggressor, including on its territory.
However, this statement was not as clear as in other countries. So the next day, Berlin made an attempt to clear up the confusion about what Scholz meant.
Scholzʼs spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters that "Ukraineʼs defensive actions are not limited to its own territory, but can be extended to the territory of the aggressor." At the same time, he emphasized that he could not disclose the exact agreements with Kyiv on the use of German weapons, as they are "confidential".
Hebestreit also noted that Scholzʼs statement a year ago, in which he said there was a "consensus" that Ukraine would not use German weapons on Russian soil, was a "statement of fact" that was true at the time, but not necessarily true. extends to the future.
A Politico interlocutor familiar with the German governmentʼs position also added that Scholz is in favor of allowing the use of Western weapons against targets on Russian soil.
As for the United States, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said at a briefing in Chisinau on May 29 that the Biden administration may be open to allowing Ukraine to use American weapons on Russian territory, writes The New York Times.
According to him, the United States did not encourage or facilitate such attacks. At the same time, the Secretary of State emphasized that Ukrainians should make their own decisions about how best to defend themselves, and that the US government is "adapting and adjusting its position as necessary" given how the war is developing.
When asked by a journalist if his words about "adapt and adapt" mean that the United States can support Ukraineʼs attacks with American weapons on the territory of Russia, he answered: "Adapt and adapt means exactly that."
An unnamed U.S. official told The Washington Post that there are no restrictions on Ukraineʼs use of U.S.-provided air defenses to shoot down Russian missiles or fighter jets over Russian territory "if they pose a threat to Ukraine."
At the same time, as the publication notes, the US has previously expressed concern to Ukrainian officials about Kyivʼs attacks on Russian territory, sometimes even intervening at the planning stage. For example, a few days before the planned GUR attack on Moscow, the United States asked Kyiv to cancel its plans, fearing escalation.
- The head of the Foreign Ministry of Great Britain David Cameron stated on May 3 that the Armed Forces have the right to strike Russian targets with weapons provided by London, and later Sweden, Poland and Finland made similar statements. The Minister of Defense of the Netherlands and the President of France also spoke in favor of easing restrictions for the Armed Forces. And the NATO Parliamentary Assembly called on the governments of the Alliance countries to allow Ukraine to strike military targets on the territory of Russia with Western weapons.
- The USA is under pressure from several key European allies to allow Ukraine to use its weapons against the Russian Federation. The New York Times wrote that Joe Bidenʼs administration is already actively discussing easing restrictions.