Ukraine’s right to self-defense includes strikes on military targets on Russian soil: NATO chief

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Ukraine’s right to self-defense includes strikes on legitimate military targets on Russian soil, the NATO chief said on Tuesday.

“This is particularly relevant now. Because the most heavy fighting is taking place in the Kharkiv region, close to the Ukrainian-Russian border. Therefore, it will be very hard for Ukrainians to defend themselves if they cannot hit military targets just on the other side of the border,” Stoltenberg said at the doorstep of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

“These are national decisions. It is not a NATO decision. Allies have not imposed restrictions on the weapons they delivered,” he said.

Stoltenberg also stressed the importance of swiftly providing Ukraine much-needed weapon systems.

“The most urgent need now is more air defense. And we are working with NATO Allies, and many of them also of course EU members, on stepping up the delivery of ammunition, air defense systems, and in particular the most advanced ones, the Patriot systems,” he said.