Ukraine has the right to strike “Russian military facilities outside Ukraine” in accordance with international law, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said, making this statement for the first time since the start of the war almost two years ago. the Financial Times newspaper quoted by News.ro.

Earlier this week, Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that the use of Western weapons to strike targets in Russia has long been a point of contention among Kyiv’s allies over fears of an escalation of the conflict. “Each ally decides for itself whether there are certain reservations about what it proposes, and different allies have slightly different policies on that,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with Radio Free Europe published on Tuesday.

“But in general, we should remember what it is about. This is Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in gross violation of international law. And according to international law, Ukraine has the right to self-defense,” Stoltenberg added. “And this includes the destruction of legitimate military targets, Russian military targets outside of Ukraine. This is international law, and, of course, Ukraine has the right to it in order to protect itself,” Stoltenberg explained.

A NATO official confirmed to the Financial Times on Thursday that Stoltenberg did say that Kyiv had a right to self-defense, including strikes against legitimate Russian military targets outside Ukraine.

These comments are a step forward in the rhetoric of the head of NATO, who previously referred to Kyiv’s rights under international law, without directly mentioning attacks on Russian territory, the Financial Times writes.

“In addition, it is important to actually recognize that although the situation on the battlefield is difficult, we should not overestimate Russia and underestimate Ukraine,” Stoltenberg told reporters last week, noting that Ukrainian forces were able to deliver “deep strikes” in Russian-occupied Crimea and that they managed to sink some of the Russian ships of the Black Sea Fleet.

F-16, turning moment

The debate over using Western weapons to strike Russia is likely to intensify as some NATO allies begin sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. An American-made aircraft, if armed with long-range missiles, can significantly increase the potential range of Kyiv’s strikes on Russian territory.

In recent months, Kyiv has stepped up drone and long-range missile strikes against military facilities in Russia, including an oil depot used by the Russian military near St. Petersburg.

However, due to the sensitivity of the West regarding attacks on Russian territory, Ukraine only hinted at its responsibility for these attacks. Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that Ukraine “usually does not comment.”

France and Britain, which have already supplied Kiev with long-range missiles, cautiously agreed to such strikes, fearing an escalation with Moscow. In Germany, lawmakers are trying to convince Chancellor Olaf Scholz to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, a long-standing demand of Kyiv, because it can use advanced German weapons to strike Russian supply lines.

Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that Moscow could attack Western-supplied F-16 jets outside Ukraine’s borders, which he said risked bringing NATO into direct conflict with Russia. “This seriously risks drawing NATO further into this armed conflict,” Putin said in June. “Tanks are burning, and F-16s will also be burning,” the Russian leader said.

Recently, some Russian officials threatened that additional Western support for Ukraine could lead to a global nuclear war. “We must do everything to prevent (nuclear war), but the clock is ticking faster and faster,” Dmitry Medvedev, the former president and prime minister, said in an interview published Thursday. “And in this I also see the helplessness of Western governments, who always say the same thing: the Russians are trying to scare us, they will never do it. They are wrong. If the existence of our country is at stake, what choice does our head of state have? None,” said Medvedev.

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