The German government is cautiously backing away from its reservations about allowing Ukraine to attack military facilities on Russian territory with Western-provided weapons.
Can Scholz allow Ukraine to hit Russia with Western weapons
The publication's interlocutor said that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in favour of allowing the use of Western weapons against targets inside Russia but did not provide other details.
In turn, on Wednesday, Scholz's spokesman, Steffen Gebeshreit, told reporters that "Ukraine's defensive actions are not limited to its own territory, but can also be extended to the territory of the aggressor." He also stressed that he could not disclose the exact agreements with Kyiv regarding the use of German weapons, as they are confidential.
Gebestreit also argued that Scholz's statement a year ago, in which he said there was a "consensus" that Ukraine would not use German weapons on Russian soil, was a "statement of fact" that was true at the time but not necessarily true. Necessarily refers to the future.
On Tuesday, Chancellor Scholz said that Ukraine could use weapons provided by Germany "within the framework of international law", which will allow it to hit targets on the territory of Russia.
"I find it strange," Scholz told reporters, "when some people hold discussions and say that they (Ukrainians - ed.) are not allowed to defend themselves and take appropriate measures for this."
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking alongside the German chancellor, said: "We must allow the Ukrainians to neutralize military facilities from which missiles are launched, but not other civilian or military targets."
What is known about the position of other Western partners
It is known that Valery Zaluzhnyi, the head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, signed documents regarding permission for military instructors from France to visit training centers in Ukraine.
At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that negotiations are underway with France and other countries regarding the possibility of accepting their military instructors.
According to Ivan Stupak, a military expert and former Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) employee, in a comment to UNIAN journalists, why Western military instructors will be able to teach the Ukrainian army is an exciting question because currently, the Ukrainian military has much more combat experience.
However, according to him, Ukraine would not be hindered by Western technicians who could service and repair military equipment received from partners.
He also noted that it would be desirable to count on the arrival of Western troops who would not take part directly in hostilities but would take over the protection of the borders with Belarus and Transnistria.
NATO cannot make such a decision. We know the position of Slovakia, Hungary, and Turkey. There will be no collective decision. The trick is that it is very easy to hide behind a collective decision. And if everyone is separate, then this is a big political challenge. Therefore, you need to have really serious nerves to go yourself, declare your position, approve it within the country and send your troops to Ukraine, Stupak explained.
