Berlin says Ukraine can strike military targets inside Russia with German arms
Editor's note: This story was updated with Germany Defense Minister Boris Pistorius's remarks.
Ukraine can use German-supplied weapons to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia, Deutsche Welle reported on May 31, citing a German government spokesperson.
Berlin has been long opposed to Kyiv using German weapons to strike at Russian soil, but multiple recent statements and media reports indicated that this position is shifting.
The announcement comes shortly after multiple media outlets reported that according to U.S. officials, Washington has also lifted the ban, but only regarding Russian military targets near Kharkiv Oblast.
The information about the U.S.'s decision was confirmed for the Kyiv Independent by President Volodymyr Zelensky's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov.
In contrast, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said on May 30 that there has been no change in the U.S. policy regarding the ban but did not specifically mention Kharkiv Oblast.
"We believe that Ukraine can be effective by focusing on tactical and operational targets that directly affect the conflict within its boundaries without going after larger geopolitical targets within Russia," Singh said.
A source of the Politico news outlet source also said that Washington had not allowed long-range strikes deep inside Russia with U.S. weapons, limiting its permission to the area near Kharkiv.
Germany Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said during a visit to Moldova on May 31 that Berlin's decision also applies to the area around Kharkiv, according to Bild journalist Julian Röpke.
Kateryna Denisova
