Ukraine has right to strike military facilities on Russian territory, says Stoltenberg

Jens Stoltenberg said that before the ministerial meeting in Brussels, ArmiyaInform reports. 

He said that Russia attacked Ukraine, and under international law, Ukraine has the right to defend itself, including targeting legitimate military sites on Russian soil.

If Ukraine’s not allowed to do this, it’s like asking Ukraine to defend itself with one hand tied behind their back, said the NATO Secretary General.

Stoltenberg added that self-defense is not an escalation, and the right to defend against aggression is enshrined in UN documents. He argued that NATO support for Ukraine does not make NATO countries participants in the war.

Russia has opened a new front in northern Ukraine, attacking Kharkiv from across the border. If Russian troops feel safe on their territory, it will be very difficult for Ukraine to defend itself, Stoltenberg concluded.

Which countries allowed Ukraine to use its weapons to strike at the territory of Russia

On May 2, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Ukraine has the right to use British weapons to strike at Russian territory. In response, Russia threatened to strike at UK military facilities.

On May 26, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said that Ukraine could use weapons provided by Stockholm to hit targets in Russia.

On May 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the North Atlantic Alliance called on the governments of all NATO member states to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike at Russian targets.

Later, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine has the right to strike military targets in Russia.

Subsequently, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said that his country supports Ukraine's right to use Western weapons to strike targets in Russia.

Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Finland also gave permission to use their weapons outside Ukraine.

On May 29, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that the country had not set any conditions for the use of weapons when providing Kyiv with them.

At the same time, the United States continues to restrict Ukraine's ability to use the weapons it has been given.

On May 30, Norway said that Western countries should allow Ukraine to use their weapons on Russian territory to speed up Kyiv's victory.

On the same day, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that Ukraine would be able to use Danish F-16 fighter jets to strike military targets in Russia.