Moscow [Russia], July 16: NATO chief says Ukraine has the right to attack military targets in Russia, as Moscow warns of "deepening confrontation" with the West.
The Kyiv Independent on July 15 quoted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as saying that Ukraine has the right under international law to attack military targets on Russian territory.
The statement is seen as a new signal from NATO, although US policy currently prohibits Ukrainian forces from using US-supplied weapons to attack deep into Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on the US to lift this policy, saying that using weapons such as the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) against Russia would bring "immediate results".
In an interview with United News, Mr. Stoltenberg said that Russia had started the war against Ukraine and therefore Ukraine had the right to defend itself, including attacking Russian territory. "My view is that there is no doubt that Ukraine has the right to attack legitimate military targets on Russian territory," he said.
Last month, the US government authorized Ukraine to use weapons aid against targets in Russia bordering Kharkiv province, after Russia launched a new offensive in the province. Mr. Stoltenberg said many countries were "easing restrictions" on Ukraine attacking military targets in Russia. "I welcome the decision of members to open up more possibilities for using weapons against those targets," Mr. Stoltenberg said.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the US seemed to have lifted the ban on Ukraine using aid weapons to attack Russian territory, and said that "no one in Washington DC understands the risks of such a dangerous anti-Russian policy".
TASS news agency on July 15 quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia and the West are currently in a period of deep confrontation, while NATO does not want to consider Russia's concerns regarding the possibility of Ukraine's admission. "We are currently in a period of deep confrontation, fierce confrontation, and there are no preconditions for getting out of this spiral so far," according to Mr. Peskov.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper