Should the beleaguered Ukraine be allowed to use Western weapons on the territory of the attacker? This is not only being discussed in the USA. There are also calls for this in Germany.
Green European politician Anton Hofreiter has spoken out in favor of no longer preventing Ukraine from attacking Russian territory with Western weapons.
“This is about protecting the Ukrainian population. Therefore, we should not prevent Ukraine from using the weapons it has supplied to fend off Russian fighter jets in Russian airspace,” the chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “International law allows an attacked state to attack military targets in the aggressor’s country.”
The Russian army is bombarding the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which has a population of one million, day and night from its own territory, including with glide bombs that take only 40 seconds to hit, he explained.
The New York Times recently reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wants to advocate allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with US weapons. He wants to persuade President Joe Biden to lift the restrictions, it said.
“Do not exclude individual weapon systems across the board”
Before the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Germany, Hofreiter called on both governments to expand their strong support for Ukraine. Germany has the money and resources to better equip Ukraine with weapons and ammunition. “In the serious situation Ukraine is in, individual weapons systems cannot be ruled out across the board. France, on the other hand, has more experience and the necessary resources for deterrence – including nuclear deterrence,” said Hofreiter.
To strengthen European defense, he proposed a fund of 500 billion euros, financed by borrowing from the EU Commission. “This should finance up to 30 percent of armament projects involving at least three member states – provided that 80 percent of the money invested goes to European companies,” explained Hofreiter. The funds should also be used to strengthen the infrastructure relevant to defense: roads, bridges and railways.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
