11 countries approve strikes against Russia with arms donations

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has now thrown his support behind Ukraine's use of Western weapons to target Russian territory, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Politico.

This marks a change in Scholz's position in recent days. As recently as May 28, the German leader said there was no reason to expand the use of Western weapons in the Ukrainian conflict. He emphasized that “clear rules for the supply of German weapons to kyiv” had been established and agreed with Ukraine, and they were already in force.

Scholz has always stated that his political goal in Ukraine is “to prevent the conflict from escalating into a much larger war.”

However, after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who persuaded him to allow the use of Western weapons against Russian military bases on Russian soil, Scholz adjusted his position. At that time, he indicated that Ukraine could use the weapons supplied to it. “within the framework of international law”. This, as Politico notes, allows their use against an aggressor, in this case Russia.

On the same day, Scholz's press secretary Steffen Hebestreit clarified Scholz's position. He stated, “Ukraine’s defensive actions are not limited to its own territory; they can extend to Russian territory. However, Hebestreit stressed that he could not disclose specific agreements with kyiv regarding the use of German weapons for confidentiality reasons.

According to Hebestreit, the Chancellor's statements regarding a “consensus” made last February with Ukraine not to strike Russian territory, reflected the facts of the time but may not apply in the future.

At the same time, sources told Politico that the United States may also reconsider its position on Ukraine's use of Western weapons in attacks against Russia. They mentioned that no decisions had yet been made, but that the Biden administration appeared to be following a familiar pattern of “an initial warning followed by a decision.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently urged alliance members to allow Ukraine to use the weapons they provided against Russian targets. This conversation gained momentum following the advance of the Russian army in the Kharkiv region.

Currently, eleven Western countries have agreed to let Ukraine target military sites on Russian territory with their weapons. These countries include France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Canada.

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