Key developments on June 4: * Biden: Peace in Ukraine doesn't mean NATO membership * NATO 'land corridors' will rush US troops to front lines of any future European war, Telegraph reports * Ukraine's use of German weapons to strike Russia will not 'contribute to escalation,' Scholz says * Russian missile attack on
In the past, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly cited a fear of escalation as among the principal reasons for limiting Germany's support for Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 2 said the U.S. should allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia with long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to protect lives.
The statement, which was signed by U.S. Congressmen Michael McCaul, Mike Turner, and Mike Rodgers, said that the "decision should have been made before Russia's recent offensive in Kharkiv, not after."
“The recommendations apply to the northern border in Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, where Russian forces are firing on Ukraine,” said Michael Carpenter, senior director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council.
Key updates on May 31: * Presidential Office confirms Washington allowed Kyiv to strike inside Russia with US arms near Kharkiv * 75 Ukrainian prisoners brought back from Russian captivity * Ukraine signs security agreements with Sweden, Norway, Iceland * Ukraine strikes ferry crossing, oil depots in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, General Staff says * SBU
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he thinks Moscow's troops were "laughing" at Ukraine and were able to "hunt" its soldiers because of a ban on using Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia.
The U.S. gave Ukraine permission to strike Russian territory with American-supplied weapons, but only near Kharkiv city, President Volodymyr Zelensky's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, confirmed for the Kyiv Independent on May 31.
Ukraine can use German-supplied weapons to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia, Deutsche Welle reported on May 31, citing a German government spokesperson.
The comments come a day after Denmark said Ukraine may use Danish-supplied F-16 jets to strike military targets in Russian territory, as this would be "within the rules of war."
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said bilateral agreements exist "not to be discussed publicly, to draw some 'red lines' as to what is tolerated and what is not."
When asked by reporters on May 30 if there had been a shift in Pentagon policy, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said there had been "no change," without specifically mentioning attacks near the Kharkiv region.
Key developments on May 30: * Ukraine hit 4 Russian patrol boats in occupied Crimea overnight, military intelligence says * Ukraine hits Russian ferry crossing with ATACMS in Crimea, General Staff says * Politico: Biden quietly allows Ukraine to strike Russia with US arms but 'solely near Kharkiv' * Ukraine can use Danish-supplied F-16s
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration secretly lifted the ban for Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American weapons, but "solely near the area of Kharkiv," Politico reported on May 30, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on June 8 during Biden's first state visit to France, the White House announced on May 30.
Ukraine can use F-16 jets to strike military targets in Russian territory, as this would be "within the rules of war," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels on May 30.
U.S. and Germany are signaling a potential change to their long-standing policy of not allowing Ukraine to strike military targets on Russian territory with U.S. and German-supplied weapons, according to recent statements and two articles published by Politico on May 29.
Representatives of Finland, Canada, and Poland issued separate statements on May 29 saying Ukraine can use their weapons to strike targets on Russian territory.
Following a new Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine is increasingly raising pressure on its allies, urging them to lift restrictions on the use of Western-provided weapons against military targets inside Russia. Months before the offensive, Kyiv had publicly pledged not to use Western-made weapons to strike targets outside of
"We think that we should allow them to neutralize military sites where missiles are fired, from where... Ukraine is attacked," Macron said at a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. "If we tell them (Ukraine) that you are not allowed to target the place from which missiles are fired, we are in fact telling them that we are providing you with weapons but you cannot defend yourself."
"As a country under attack, Ukraine certainly has every right to use all means of defense," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.
NATO allies should lift restrictions that prohibit Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons against military targets inside Russia, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly said in a declaration adopted on May 27.
"Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military actions aimed at the enemy's territory as long as the military actions comply with the laws of war," Jonson said.
Speaking at an event in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government gave clear rules to Kyiv prohibiting the use of German weapons on Russian soil and that he sees no reason to change this.
"The time has come for allies to consider whether they should lift some of the restrictions they have put on the use of weapons they have donated to Ukraine," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
After his "sobering visit" to Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wants the White House to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory with American-supplied arms, The New York Times (NYT) reported on May 22, citing undisclosed official sources.
"(Ukraine needs) to be able to fight back. And I think us trying to micromanage the effort there is not a good policy for us," said U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.
In an interview with French TV station LCI, Gabrielius Landsbergis said restrictions such as those imposed by the U.S. on using long-range ATACMS missiles inside Russia were a "mistake."
Ukrainian lawmakers are trying to convince Washington to allow Kyiv to strike at Russian territory with U.S.-supplied weapons, saying the ban prevented them from attacking Russian troops amassing near Kharkiv Oblast, Politico reported on May 14.
Moscow can hit back at "any British military installations and equipment in or outside Ukraine" if Ukraine strikes on Russian territory with U.K.-made weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on May 6.
Washington wants to help Ukraine defend itself, but does not support strikes with U.S.-made weapons on Russian territory, U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink said at a meeting with journalists on May 3, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Key updates on May 3: * Ukraine may use British weapons to strike targets inside Russia, Cameron says * Military intelligence general: Chasiv Yar's fall probably a matter of time * Military intelligence carries out cyberattack in Russia's Tatarstan * Commander: Russia aims to completely occupy 3 oblasts in 2024 * Media: Italy to give
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