Western weapons against targets in Russia?

2024-05-07 08:50:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Western weapons against targets in Russia?

Illustrative photo

Orthodox Easter was celebrated on Sunday - but there was no sign of a break in Russia's drive for new invasions of Ukraine. The Russian military once again attacked Ukraine with drones, missiles and other weapons. In the east of the country, the Russian army continues violent frontal attacks, while Ukrainian soldiers have to wait for the announced shipments of weapons. The situation is so tense that one question is being asked more and more loudly: is Ukraine also allowed to use Western weapons to attack targets in Russia? Some NATO members are becoming increasingly pragmatic in this regard.

Counterattacks "covered by international law"

Recently it was David Cameron, the British Foreign Secretary who visited Kiev. His government has just promised Ukraine to support the country with three billion pounds of aid every year - for as long as it takes.

"Let's be very clear: Russia attacked Ukraine, and Ukraine has an absolute right to retaliate," Cameron said. get the Russians out of the country and have the ability to fight."

Cameron wants to let the Ukrainians decide for themselves how to use British weapons. A little while ago, the Foreign Minister of Latvia, Baiba Brazhe, confirmed the full right of Ukrainians to attack Russian territory. In an interview with the Ukrainian online newspaper Europa Pravda, she said: "Ukraine doesn't just need air defense or munitions. Ukraine needs to be able to carry out long-range and precision strikes even on Russian territory, from which attacks Russia Ukraine is covered by international law Ukraine needs long-range weapons.

Attacks have long been a reality

Until now, such clear words from leading Western politicians on the subject could rarely be heard - at least in public. The Russian government, on the other hand, has repeatedly announced that attacks with Western weapons on Russian territory could escalate the situation. The Kremlin accused David Cameron of endangering European security with his words.

Ukraine's attacks on Russia have long been a reality. Airports, military camps and oil refineries are bombed with drones. Refineries, in particular, have been hit often lately. Military experts believe that if Ukraine continues its drone strikes, Russia could experience gasoline shortages as early as this summer. Fuel prices may also rise worldwide.

Attacks on refineries worry the US

This is probably one of the reasons why the US government recently pressured Ukrainian President Zelensky to stop attacking any refineries in Russia. Perhaps simply because high gas prices are poison for the US president during the election campaign. But Zelensky sees no other alternative to weaken Russia. Last Wednesday, another Russian oil refinery caught fire again.

Zelenski now has the support of the Secretary General of NATO. Oil refineries on Russian territory are "legitimate targets" for Ukrainian drone strikes, Jens Stoltenberg said in early April.

Reaction to the situation at the front

Western politicians and military officials have long secretly given their blessing to attacks on Russian soil. Now more and more of them are making this attitude public. Some of them no longer see a problem at all when Western weapons are used for these attacks.

Ukrainian military expert Oleh Zhdanov believes this has to do with the difficult situation on the battlefield. There is a risk of a new invasion of the Russian army in the area of ??Sumy or Kharkiv, says Zhdanov. "We will certainly be forced to fight on our state border," he says, which means the enemy will come under fire on Russian territory as well.

A tacit agreement on operating range

"Sooner or later, it had to happen that the Western countries give up the demand that their weapons not be used on Russian soil", says this military expert. As he says, there was no ban anyway. This also applies to the long-range US ATACMS missiles that the US delivered to Ukraine in the spring. They have a distance of up to 300 kilometers.

Ukraine has already used them to attack some Russian targets, but apparently only in areas occupied by Russia. In this way, as Zhdanov says, she fulfilled the American request: the US tied the delivery of the missiles to the condition that they be used only on Ukrainian territory. There is also said to be this tacit agreement when it comes to British Storm Shadow missiles: to use them only on Ukrainian territory. It's a matter of faith.

Scholz does not want to rely on Kiev's promise

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz prefers not to rely on Ukrainian promises - especially when it comes to Taurus missiles. This missile has a range of up to 500 kilometers. Scholz said recently: "Here you can't have an argument like between friends: 'Don't you trust me?' Of course I trust my friends, but I wouldn't give them all all my guns!"

However, Ukrainian military expert Zhdanov believes it is possible for Scholz to change his mind. "After the Americans promised us Abrams tanks, Olaf Scholz agreed to deliver Leopard tanks - although he previously said that such tanks would never be used in the Ukrainian army," Zhdanov says, adding: "That's why I think it is possible that Olaf Scholz, if the circumstances develop in such a way, will change his mind and give the Taurus missiles.

Circumstances are actually changing - not for the better: Russia continues to advance. In such cases, politicians also become pragmatic./ DW