Olaf Scholz refuses to permit Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with German-supplied weapons
Olaf Scholz does not plan to grant Ukraine permission to strike military targets on Russian territory using arms supplied by Germany.
During a public discussion celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law of Germany, Scholz said that there are currently "clear rules for weapons deliveries that we have already implemented" between Berlin and Kyiv. "And they work. At least, I believe they do," said the chancellor.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in an interview published in The Economist on Friday, May 24, urged Ukraine's allies to "consider lifting some of the restrictions they have imposed on the use of weapons they supplied to Ukraine." Stoltenberg's proposal was supported by the chair of the Bundestag’s Committee on European Affairs, Anton Hofreiter. "We should not prevent Ukraine from using the supplied weapons to counter Russian fighter jets in Russian airspace," he said in an interview with the Funke media group. According to him, international law permits the targeting of military sites in an aggressor nation.
Later, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that his country opposes lifting the ban on using Western weapons to strike Russian territory. He explained that "the military tools sent by Italy should be used within Ukraine," and Italy "is working for peace."