A senior NATO military official has indicated that Ukraine might have a valid military justification for conducting deeper strikes into Russia using Western-supplied weapons. This comes as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden discuss whether to authorize Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles against Russian targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that allowing Ukraine to use Western long-range missiles could be seen as direct Western involvement in the conflict. During a meeting in Prague of NATO’s Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, the committee’s chairman, emphasized that the law of armed conflict permits nations to defend themselves beyond their borders.
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Bauer noted that while Ukraine could have a military rationale for such attacks—aimed at weakening the enemy by targeting logistics and supplies—countries supplying the weapons might impose usage restrictions. He acknowledged ongoing discussions about the political implications and responsibilities associated with these arms.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been advocating for the use of Western missiles like the U.S.-made ATACMS and British Storm Shadows to strike deeper into Russian territory, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s ability to launch further attacks. Meanwhile, Putin claimed that NATO personnel might need to program the missiles, suggesting that Kyiv lacks the capability to do so on its own.
