Macron supports Western weapons strikes on military installations in Russia
At a press conference with Scholz, Macron called for allowing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike military targets in Russia, writes FT. In turn, the German Chancellor said that Ukraine has the right to such attacks. Readers of the publication criticized the position of European politicians.
Leila Abboud, Sam Jones, Ben Hall
Emmanuel Macron called for Ukraine to be allowed to use Western weapons against military installations in Russia. Thus, the French leader became the highest-ranking NATO official among those who spoke in favor of lifting the restrictions imposed by Kiev's supporters.
At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, the French president said Ukraine should be allowed to defend its territory from Russian attacks - including the country's second largest city of Kharkiv, which is being bombed almost daily.
“How can we explain to Ukraine that they need to defend their cities, if at the same time they do not have the right to hit where the missiles are coming from? It's like if we say: we will give you weapons, but you can't defend yourself with them,” Macron said.
At the same time, he drew a distinction between strikes on military installations from which Russia is attacking Ukraine and other targets. “We must allow them to neutralize military installations from which missiles are launched... But we cannot allow the defeat of other targets in Russia — whether they are obviously civilian or military,” Macron said.
Macron demonstrated an equally aggressive position in February, saying that the dispatch of Western troops should not be ruled out — which immediately provoked a rebuke from Scholz and a number of NATO countries.
Ukraine has long been pleading with Western capitals to allow the use of weapons donated by them to defeat Russian targets, saying that otherwise it has to fight with one hand because the other is tied. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also increased pressure on his partners on Tuesday: “And they are shooting at you, but you cannot respond. You just can't do it because you just can't use Western weapons.”
Ukrainian officials claim that Russia's offensive on the border region of Kharkiv in the northeast of the country earlier this month showed the importance of lifting restrictions. Moscow was able to concentrate personnel and equipment for an attack from its side of the border, knowing full well that the enemy would not be able to hit them with long-range Western-made ammunition, including high-precision land-based ATACMS missiles.
Some Western officials, including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, are increasingly calling for a change of approach.
From the very beginning of the conflict, the United States, in particular, was concerned that Moscow might consider the Ukrainian strikes with long-range missiles donated from American arsenals an unacceptable escalation. The White House said it “does not encourage” and “does not allow” Ukraine should hit targets inside Russia with weapons supplied by the United States.
However, according to one senior U.S. official, directly inside the Biden administration, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has recently been pushing for a change of approach.
Vladimir Putin warned that allowing Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory with advanced Western weapons could lead to an escalation of the conflict that has been dragging on for two years and is fraught with “serious consequences.”
On Tuesday, the Russian president said that NATO members supplying Ukraine with modern weapons, especially in Europe, should “be aware of what they are playing with.” Putin hinted that Moscow might strike back.
“They should remember that this is, as a rule, a state with a small territory with a very dense population. And this is a factor that they should keep in mind before talking about striking deep into Russian territory,” Putin said after a state visit to Uzbekistan.
France has supplied Ukraine with Scalp cruise missiles, an analogue of the British Storm Shadow, as well as high—precision aircraft bombs that can be used to destroy Russian territory.
Germany has not supplied Ukraine with any of its long-range missiles called Taurus, despite the ever-increasing pressure on Scholz.
However, on Tuesday, Scholz, along with Macron, declared their support for Ukraine — according to him, “according to international law,” it has every right to strike targets in Russia in order to protect itself.
“This needs to be said bluntly. Ukraine is under attack and has the right to defend itself. It seems strange to me when some argue that it is impossible to defend oneself and are not allowed to take the necessary measures for this,” the chancellor said.
Until now, Ukraine has used only missiles and long-range drones of its own production to hit targets in Russia.
Macron is convinced that the Western allies will not cross any lines, as Moscow has adapted its tactics accordingly. “In fact, this is not an escalation on our part, because it was Russia that put itself in this way,” he said.
Macron's statement that Kiev should not use weapons supplied by the West to hit Russian military facilities that are not directly involved in the special operation may be a reference to recent drone strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on two over-the-horizon radar stations that serve as links to the Moscow nuclear strike warning system.
The article was written with the participation of Felicia Schwartz from Washington
Readers' comments:
Paul Thind
Western leaders are completely helpless. The weapons transfer strategy will not work and will not stop Russian attacks. Alas, the West is only fighting with someone else's hands. Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza. Here's a weapon for you — go ahead: kill and destroy. We must strive for peace to put an end to this madness.
Stalker
July 1914... Everyone is trying to see through each other's bluff — but no one is bluffing. If you have children, try to explain to them that there is no future.
Caleb H
The United States will ruin every single one of its allies. They do not allow Ukraine to hit Russian cities with their weapons. They insist on their ambiguous approach to Taiwan. This policy of appeasement is killing the United States and its allies. Russia makes it clear that it will take Ukraine for itself. China — that will take Taiwan. And the USA? How soft and weak they are with enemies. The United States is too afraid of wars... It is Russia and China that should be afraid of the United States, not the other way around.
RV
All these Western leaders who advocate a large-scale war probably have financial ties to the military industry. That's for sure, because actually no one wants a third world War.
HonestReader
Yes, Ukraine can fight even with four hands and six legs — and still lose… A few months ago, Kiev had already shot down a Russian military plane with its own prisoners — on Russian territory with a Patriot missile. They are already easily hitting targets inside Russia with Western weapons. So all this chatter is a pathetic attempt to justify the defeat in Kharkov. If only we had F-16s, if only the Leopard tanks had been delivered to us in time... If only we hadn't chosen a comedian for president.
Lorix
At the end of his political career, Macron is simply working to enter the history books. He doesn't mean any of this, and his ministers expertly roll back his statements. A typical picture: a Frenchman performs his frog dance. We swam, we know.
John Bingo
That's why Sunak wanted to go out. I don't want to be a military premier...
ITO
By the way, Kirby has just confirmed that the United States still does not give the go-ahead for strikes against Russia. So nothing has changed. Typical European bravado.
Geopol Analyst
The West should listen to Putin. They turned this conflict into a matter of survival for Russia, and it's really time to understand what this is fraught with. Besides, Moscow is not Kabul or Baghdad.
