Ukraine has the right under international law to attack military targets located on Russian territory, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with the United News telethon on July 14.
U.S. policy prohibits Ukrainian forces from using U.S.-supplied weapons to strike targets on Russian soil. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Washington to lift the restrictions, saying the ability to use U.S. long-range weapons such as ATACMS inside Russia and occupied Crimea would produce “an immediate result.”
In the interview, Stoltenberg affirmed Ukraine’s right to self-defense.
“My position is that there is no doubt that Ukraine has the right to attack legitimate military targets on the territory of the aggressor country, Russia,” Stoltenberg said. “This is clearly defined in international law. Since this is a war initiated by Russia against Ukraine, Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and this includes attacks on the territory of the aggressor. For me, this is absolutely clear.”
In June, the U.S. government gave Ukraine permission to attack Russian targets near the border with Kharkiv Oblast after Moscow’s new offensive in the region. Stoltenberg said this was a welcome step.
Stoltenberg noted that other allies are “easing their restrictions” in light of Russia’s escalating attacks.
“I welcome the decision of the allies to open up the possibility of greater use of weapons to hit these targets,” he said. The NATO chief made a similar point on July 10 during the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington.
The United States has not announced any changes in its long-range strike policy on Russia. President Joe Biden dodged the issue in a July 11 press conference, saying strikes against Moscow would be “senseless.”
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