France, Germany back Ukraine's right to target Russian bases with weapons

HORNBILLTV
May 30,2024 12:30 PM
HORNBILL TV

France and Germany issued a joint statement on Tuesday, advocating for Ukraine's right to utilize their weaponry to target Russian bases, which they allege are launching attacks on Ukrainian soil.

Berlin [Germany], May 30 (HBTV): France and Germany issued a joint statement on Tuesday, advocating for Ukraine's right to utilize their weaponry to target Russian bases, which they allege are launching attacks on Ukrainian soil, CNN reported.   

French President Emmanuel Macron, during a press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, emphasised that weapons supplied to Ukraine, including long-range missiles, are authorized to target Russian bases. 

"Ukrainian soil is being attacked from bases in Russia," Macron declared during his visit to Schloss Meseberg in Brandenburg, Germany.      

"So how do we explain to the Ukrainians that we're going to have to protect these towns and basically everything we're seeing around Kharkiv at the moment, if we tell them you are not allowed to hit the point from which the missiles are fired?" 

"We think that we should allow them to neutralise the military sites from which the missiles are fired and, basically, the military sites from which Ukraine is attacked," Macron continued, as reported by CNN.   

However, Macron stressed the importance of not allowing strikes on non-military or civilian targets in Russia. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed Macron's sentiments, affirming that Ukraine has the right to defend itself within the parameters set by the countries that have provided the weapons and international law.   

"Ukraine has every possibility under international law for what it is doing. That has to be said explicitly," Scholz asserted. "I find it strange when some people argue that it should not be allowed to defend itself and take measures that are suitable for this."    

The Western stance on the usage of donated weapons by Ukraine has long been contentious, with concerns among Western leaders that such actions could escalate violence and potentially draw NATO into a broader conflict.   

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently sought permission from his allies to extend the use of provided weapons to target Russian territory.  

The United States, Ukraine's largest arms supplier, has previously refrained from endorsing Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory due to concerns about escalation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at a possible shift in policy, indicating that the US would continue to adapt its support for Ukraine in response to changing conditions.    

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.