France’s President Macron Supports Ukraine’s Military Strikes in Russia
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine should be allowed to neutralize Russian military sites from which missiles are launched. He expressed support for Ukrainian forces to strike across their eastern border into Russia and is advocating for attacks inside Russia within NATO.
Macron mentioned at a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russian forces have fired missiles from within their territory into Ukraine, specifically targeting the Kharkiv region. He emphasized the need for Ukraine to have the capability to strike inside Russia to prevent such attacks in the future.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also shown support for NATO members to authorize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to use NATO-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia in self-defense. This has triggered a division among NATO allies regarding this approach.
While Macron and Stoltenberg support Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, Scholz expressed caution and refrained from explicitly endorsing or opposing the idea. He suggested that Ukraine has the right to defend itself according to international law.
Within the NATO alliance, there are differing opinions. British Defense Minister David Cameron supported Ukraine’s right to strike back at Russia, while Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson emphasized Ukraine’s right to defend itself with combat actions that comply with international law.
However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her government have distanced themselves from NATO’s support for Ukrainian strikes inside Russia. They have urged more prudence in such actions to avoid escalating tensions.
The Biden administration has maintained its opposition to Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, despite some calls from former officials for a policy change. Overall, there is a mixed response within the administration regarding this issue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO members against supporting Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, highlighting concerns about the implications of such actions on international relations.
In conclusion, the debate over allowing Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia remains ongoing, with varying perspectives from world leaders and policymakers.
