7 ay önce

Ukraine welcomes US, Germany move to allow weapons to strike inside Russia

President Zelenskyy says the decision is a step in the direction of Ukraine's goal to defend those living in the border villages with Russia.

AP Archive

US and Germany's decision sparks anger from Russia and exposes disagreements within NATO. / Photo: AP Archive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed a US decision to partially lift restrictions on using US-donated weapons to strike inside Russia as a "step forward".

Washington gave the green light on Thursday for Ukraine to use US weapons to defend its Kharkiv region on the border with Russia, overcoming previous concerns that authorising such strikes could drag NATO into a direct conflict with Russia.

"This is a step forward toward (the) goal... of making it possible to defend our people who live in the villages on the border," Zelenskyy said during a visit to Stockholm on Friday.

Germany on Friday said it too had permitted Ukraine to fire German-delivered weapons at targets in Russia.

Kiev has the "right under international law to defend itself" against attacks coming from inside Russia, close to the border with Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.

"To this end, it can also use the weapons supplied for this purpose... including those supplied by us," he said.

Biden lets Ukraine hit Russia with American weapons — officials

'US' involvement in Ukraine conflict'

The Kremlin accused the West on Thursday of "entering a new round of escalations in tensions".

And on Friday Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that US-made weapons "are already being used to attempt strikes on Russian territory".

"This is quite eloquent evidence of the extent of US involvement in this conflict," he said.

But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking to reporters at a meeting of alliance foreign ministers in Prague, responded: "This is part of efforts by President (Vladimir) Putin and Moscow to prevent NATO allies from supporting Ukraine to defend themselves."

"Ukraine has the right for self-defence and we have the right to help Ukraine," he said.

However, divisions on the issue between NATO member states have emerged.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that "for Italy, it is impossible to use our weapons outside of Ukraine".

"We are not fighting against Russia. We're defending Ukraine and it is not the same," he said.