Representatives of Finland, Canada, and Poland issued separate statements on May 29 saying Ukraine can use their weapons to strike targets on Russian territory.
Kyiv can strike military targets on Russian territory with Finnish-supplied weapons as it has a right to self-defense under the U.N. Charter, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said in an interview on May 29 with the Finnish newspaper Uusi Suomi.
"Finland has not set any special restrictions on its aid to Ukraine, but assumes that it will be used in accordance with international law," Valtonen said.
The issue of Ukraine striking military targets in Russia using Western-provided weapons came to a head after representatives of countries like the U.S. and Germany said they opposed it due to fears of escalation.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged an end to Ukrainian allies' bans on Kyiv using their weapons to strike Russia.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly adopted on May 27 a declaration in support of NATO allies lifting restrictions that prohibit Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons against military targets inside Russia.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said at a press conference on May 29 saying Ottawa does not oppose Kyiv using Canadian-supplied weapons to strike Russia.
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk echoed her message, telling Polish radio station Radoi Zet that Warsaw does not have any restrictions on Ukraine's use of Polish-supplied weapons in Russia.
“Ukraine was brutally attacked by Russia, so it has the right to defend itself. In turn, we are a country that has decided to help it with this," he said.
Ukrainian officials have ramped up the pressure on their allies in recent weeks, urging them to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike military targets in Russia.
"We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched," Zelensky said on May 26.
Kateryna Denisova
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t depend on a wealthy owner or an oligarch — in 2023, 80% of our revenue was from reader contributions. It’s thanks to them that we don’t have to rely on a single owner.
Support us now and help maintain our independent model and keep our articles free for everyone. Your contributions allow us to cover journalists’ salaries, report from the front lines, and fund projects like our War Crimes Investigations Unit.
