NATO's secretary general has said the US should lift its ban on Ukraine firing missiles at the Russian mainland.
In a interview of The economist, Stoltenberg said lifting restrictions would allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces despite the clear risk of escalation and possible nuclear Armageddon.
“I think the time has come for the allies to consider whether they should lift some of the restrictions they have placed on the use of weapons they have donated to Ukraine, because, especially now that there is a lot of fighting in Kharkiv, close to the border,” Stoltenberg said.
“Denying Ukraine the ability to use these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory will make it very difficult for them to defend themselves,” he continued. “It is legal, it is legitimate, and we are helping Ukraine enforce that right and that should include the ability to attack targets on Russian soil as well.”
Stoltenberg's plea comes days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a delegation to Washington with the intention of asking the Biden regime to reverse the ban.
David Arahamiya, a Ukrainian lawmaker who led the delegation, indicated that the request came directly from the country's military generals.
“It's like if someone were to attack Washington DC from the state of Virginia, and you say we're not going to attack Virginia for some reason,” he said. “It's crazy. Military men, like generals, don't understand it. So they push us as politicians, as if we have to stop [the policy] This is insane.”
However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has recently argued that Ukraine should focus on regaining lost territory.
“Ukraine must make its own decisions about how to fight this war, a war it is waging in defense of its freedom, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity,” Blinken said last week. “We have been clear about our own policy.”
According to a report from Reuters this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now actively pursuing a ceasefire in Ukraine along the current battle lines. However, he is still willing to fight on if the West rejects his attempts to end the conflict that has been going on for over two years now.
