Ukraine 'must be able' to hit legitimate military targets in Russia: EU parliament

​​​​​​​By Nur Asena Erturk

Ukraine “must be able to strike legitimate military targets in Russia,” the European Parliament said Thursday, according to a statement.

The EU Parliament adopted a resolution in a 425 - 131 vote, with 63 abstentions, that said: “Without lifting current restrictions, Ukraine cannot fully exercise its right to self-defense and remains exposed to attacks on its population and infrastructure.”

MEPs also pointed out “insufficient deliveries of ammunition” and a “declining volume of bilateral military aid to Ukraine by EU countries.”

The parliament urged member states to “maintain and extend the Council’s sanctions policy against Russia, Belarus, and non-EU countries and entities providing Russia with military and dual-use technologies.”

Reiterating support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, MEPs said they “want the EU and like-minded partners to establish a sound legal regime for the confiscation of Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU as part of efforts to compensate Ukraine for the massive damage it has suffered.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western countries last week to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons to expedite an end to the war with Russia and compel Moscow to seek peace, according to the Ukrainian presidency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously warned that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied weapons would mean the direct involvement of NATO, the US and European countries in the conflict, fundamentally altering its nature.​​​​​​​