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Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Ukraine has the right to defend itself against Russian aggression, including strikes on targets located within Russian territory.
In an interview with Spiegel Stoltenberg emphasized that there are ongoing debates among allies regarding this issue.
“But we must always be aware that this is a brutal war, a blatant violation of all international rules, and an attempt by Russia to take control of Ukraine. Ukraine has the right to defend itself. This right includes striking military targets on Russian territory,” he said.
Stoltenberg also noted that Russia should not deceive Ukraine’s Western partners with threats.
“Russia has claimed from the beginning that Western arms supplies are unacceptable. But we delivered weapons. We cannot stop our support because of Russian threats,” he concluded.
It’s worth noting that British Foreign Secretary David Lammy mentioned in late September that a decision to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range Western weapons against military targets in Russia might be made by winter.
Meanwhile, current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly rejected calls to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
In early October, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed the possibility of allowing Kyiv to strike deep into Russian territory with Western weapons in meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Read also: Interview on UATV English: Linas Linkevicius, LT ex-MFA – how to use The NATO Force – what is it?
