“Please give us permission” to strike Russian territory, Zelensky asks Western allies

Ukraine urgently needs a green light from the West to launch attacks on Russian territory with donated weapons, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday. sign a long-term security agreement with Belgium which includes the supply of 30 F-16 fighter jets by 2028.

The agreement, however, prohibits Ukraine from deploying the planes sought to strike targets on Russian soil. This follows a long-standing policy by Western allies that requires kyiv to use donated weapons and munitions strictly on its territory, parts of which are currently occupied by Russian forces.

Allies fear that if their equipment is used to strike deep inside Russia, the war could escalate and trigger the activation of NATO collective defense.

“Everything that is covered by this agreement is military hardware, military equipment, which must be used by the Ukrainian defense forces and which must be used on Ukrainian territory,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said.

“That’s the deal we made.”

While expressing gratitude for the military assistance, Zelensky upped the ante and directly asked Western allies to lift the restriction, which he said has become obsolete due to changing battlefield dynamics.

“I think it’s unfair,” he said alongside De Croo.

“But it is a fact, we cannot risk the support of our partners. That is why we do not use the weapons of our partners to attack Russian territory. That is why we ask to give us permission to do. “

Zelensky used Moscow's new offensive along the northeast border as evidence of why Ukraine should be allowed to strike targets on Russian soil.

Last Saturday, Russian airstrikes against a supermarket in Kharkiv killed at least 16 people and injured 65, according to local authorities. The attack sparked international outrage and calls for criminal prosecution.

“They shoot at you and you can't answer them just because we don't have the right to use this weapon,” Zelensky said. “You receive satellite images from your intelligence services but you can do nothing to respond to them.”

The debate is gaining momentum

In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have struck energy infrastructure, including oil depots and refineries, based in Russia with the aim of harming the country's most profitable industry. The attacks alarmed Western allies and drew criticism from the U.S. defense secretary, who warned of a “ripple effect” on the global economy.

On Tuesday, Zelensky defended his military's strategy and said his war-torn country had the right to counter Russia's destruction of civilian buildings and energy systems.

“Russia started this war and it ended our usual life, it ended our electricity and water supply with its airstrikes, and no one could stop Russia from these attacks. The means diplomatic efforts have not helped,” he said.

“That’s why our tactic was to stop and diminish their profits from energy resources.”

Asked if Western restrictions would be lifted soon, the president replied: “It's a long road and we are trying to make it shorter and faster. I am sure the result will be positive.”

His comments come a day after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged allies reconsider some of the limits on weapons donations. “By imposing too many restrictions, we are tying one hand to the Ukrainian armed forces,” he said.

Ukraine has notably pleaded with Germany to provide it with Taurus cruise missiles, with a range of up to 500 kilometers. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this would be “irresponsible” and that the matter was “out of the question”.

But as Russian troops advance and propel the war into an unpredictable new phase, the debate over restrictions is gaining ground.

After a meeting of EU defense ministers on Tuesday, Josep Borrell suggested that some member states, which he did not name, were willing to lift the ban. Borrell noted that striking military targets on Russian soil was a “legitimate action under international law when used in a proportionate manner” and self-defense.

“Member states have different approaches,” the foreign policy chief said. “I know some who are strongly opposed to it and others who are definitely in favor of it.”