Ukraine has right to defend itself, – Swedish PM on strikes on Russian territory

Pål Jonson, Prime Minister of Sweden. Photo: Pål Jonson/X

Sweden supports the idea that Ukraine should be able to strike military facilities on the Russian territory.

That’s according to Hallandsposten.

“According to international law, Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military actions aimed at the enemy’s territory as long as the military actions comply with the laws of war. Sweden stands behind international law and Ukraine’s right to defend itself,” said Pål Jonson, Swedish Prime Minister.

The stance of Sweden’s government opposes Germany, Italy and the US, their leaders have made very different from Sweden’s statements.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reiterated a few times that allowing Ukraine to use German weapons on Russian territory would lead to an escalation, in which Germany becomes another side in the war.

“I don’t know why Stoltenberg said such a thing, I think we have to be very careful,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacted to Jens Stoltenberg’s statement.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claimed that denying Ukraine the possibility of using Western weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very hard for Ukrainians to defend themselves.

“The limits of Ukraine’s defense should be set by international law, not by self-imposed restrictions of Ukraine’s allies that cost Ukrainian lives. Sweden’s government should argue for this position vis-à-vis other Western countries, not only behind closed doors but also publicly. This is how you form opinion, move the debate and get states to abandon unreasonable positions,” thus, concludes the Hallandsposten article.

Read also: Stoltenberg calls on allies to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons to strike targets in Russia