Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, has once again asserted that Ukraine should be able to attack Russian territory with weapons provided by the West.
According to Reuters and AFP, Stoltenberg announced at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session in Sofia, Bulgaria, that Western powers should reconsider restrictions on Ukraine using weaponry they supply to strike inside Russia.
Considering the recent focus of Russia’s attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, which is nearly identical to the front line and the borderline, he emphasized, “It’s time to consider whether it is right to lift some of the restrictions imposed on Ukraine. If Ukraine cannot attack military targets on Russian territory, it becomes very difficult for Ukraine to defend itself with one hand tied.”
Earlier, in an interview with The Economist published on the 24th, Stoltenberg insisted that restrictions limiting the use of Western weapons to Ukrainian territory should be eased.
So far, the United States and other allies have provided weapons to Ukraine on the premise that they will not attack Russian territory for fear of the possibility of escalation. However, Ukraine, which has been pushed back by the Russian military offensive this year, is asking to be allowed to attack Russian territory with Western weapons.
Russia immediately protested against these remarks by Stoltenberg. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, strongly criticized, “NATO is increasing the degree of escalation,” and said, “Now NATO is flirting with military rhetoric and falling into military ecstasy. Russia knew how to respond (to such NATO).”
President Vladimir Putin also warned that “the West is increasing the risk of war,” and “a direct conflict between Russia and NATO would mean the planet was one step away from World War III.”
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