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NATO's Newest Member OKs Ukraine Using Its Weapons To Strike Deep In Russian Territory

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by Tyler Durden
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Calls are growing for escalation in Ukraine, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday joining in the chorus of Western leaders urging allowing Kiev to attack Russian territory with West-supplied weaponry.

Borrell said that Ukraine has a right to strike back: "According with the law of war, it is perfectly possible and there is no contradiction," he said in a meeting with European Union defense ministers. Sweden agrees with him.

EPA-EFE

"I could retaliate or I could fight against the one who fights against me from his territory," Borrell said, adding: "You have to balance the risk of escalation and the need for Ukrainians to defend."

So far Washington, which has recently supplied the US Army's ATACMS with a max range of 190 miles, has not officially overturned its prohibition on using American missiles for strikes inside Ukraine. Germany has also been reluctant to change policies.

Borrell's fresh remarks come soon on the heels of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying in a weekend interview with The Economist that "The time has come for allies to consider whether they should lift some of the restrictions they have imposed on weapons donated to Ukraine."

"To deny Ukraine the possibility of using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very hard for them to defend themselves," Stoltenberg had explained.

Meanwhile, NATO's newest member is also joining the crowd, jumping on the bandwagon in favor of strikes on Russian territory:

Sweden has permitted Ukraine to use its donated military weapons to strike deep into Russia — a bold move seen as an attempt to influence other nations to do the same.

Kyiv has long called for greater freedom to hit targets in Russia by lifting the restrictions imposed by Western nations on their donated weapons.

The country's Defense Minister Pal Jonson said Ukraine is up against an "unprovoked and illegal war of aggression" by Russia and thus it has a  right to defend itself by any necessary means.

"As long as the military actions comply with the laws of war, Sweden stands behind international law and Ukraine’s right to defend itself," Jonson said while discussing the question of Swedish weapons in Ukraine. Despite being relatively small in size, the Scandinavian country is the world's ninth biggest donor of defense aid to Ukraine. The US of course tops the list.

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