UPDATE - NATO chief reiterates Ukraine's right to strike 'legitimate military targets' inside Russia

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS, PRESSER WITH US SECRETARY OF STATE; REVISES DECK

By Burak Bir and Ahmet Gencturk

LONDON / ATHENS (AA) - The NATO secretary-general on Friday dismissed an escalation warning by Moscow over Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, saying Ukraine has the right to self-defense, including striking legitimate military targets inside Russia.

"Ukraine must be able to hit back and to defend themselves. This is part of the right for self-defense," Jens Stoltenberg said at the doorstep of the Foreign Ministers Meeting in the Czech capital Prague.

Asked about reports that US President Joe Biden has granted Ukraine secret approval to use US-supplied weapons to strike inside of Russia, the NATO chief said he welcomes that NATO allies are providing support to Ukraine in many different ways, but added that he "will not go into the details about exactly what type of support they are getting."

US permission is intended to help Kyiv better defend against Russian attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, the Politico news website reported on Thursday, citing two Biden administration officials, and two people familiar with the matter.

"What I have stated many times is that we need to remember this is a war of aggression. Russia has attacked another country, violated international law, invaded Ukraine, and Ukraine has the right for self-defense and that includes also the right to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia," he noted.

He went on to say that this has become even "more urgent," as Russia just opened a new front on the northeastern border, attacking the Kharkiv region.

Asked about how lifting restrictions on using donated weapons could change the situation on the ground, Stoltenberg said several allies have never been imposed restrictions on the supply they have delivered to Ukraine.

"If you look at the battlefield now, Russia is launching attacks on Ukrainian soil from Russian soil, with artillery with missiles ... and of course, it makes it very hard for Ukraine to defend themselves if they're not allowed to use advanced weapons to repel those attacks," said the NATO chief.

On the recent Ukrainian attack on Russian nuclear radar stations, he said: "I will not go into the details except for saying that of course we all assume that this will be done in a responsible way."

- 'More, sustained support for Ukraine'

Separately, speaking at a joint news conference with US Secretary Antony Blinken ahead of the meeting, Stoltenberg underlined that one of the hot topics of the summit is ensuring more and sustained support for Ukraine.

"I also proposed a multiyear financial pledge to ensure more accountability and predictability in the support we provide to Ukraine because we need to make sure that Moscow understands that we are prepared for the long haul in our support for Ukraine," he said.

Stoltenberg added that consolidating the alliance’s global partnerships, in particular with Asia-Pacific partners Australia and New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, and improving its deterrence and capabilities will be also discussed.

Blinken, for his part, praised NATO as the most successful alliance in history and said they are working to further improve the alliance’s deterrence.