Macron Urges Allies to Allow Ukraine Strikes on Russian Bases

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Western countries to permit Ukraine to strike military bases inside Russia with the sophisticated long-range weapons being supplied to Kyiv, marking a potential significant policy shift in the ongoing conflict.

The issue of whether to allow Ukraine to hit targets on Russian soil with Western-supplied weaponry has been contentious since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

Western leaders have been hesitant to take this step due to concerns about provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has warned that direct Western involvement could lead to nuclear conflict.

However, recent setbacks for Ukraine, including troop shortages and delays in Western military aid, have prompted new discussions. Russian forces have been increasingly successful in their attacks on Ukrainian military positions and civilian infrastructure, including the power grid. In response, Macron suggested that untying Ukraine's hands on long-range weapons could help turn the tide.

France's position, according to Macron, is that Ukraine should be allowed to neutralize the Russian military sites from which missiles are launched. 

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"If we tell (the Ukrainians) you do not have the right to reach the point from which the missiles are fired, we are in fact telling them that we are delivering weapons to you but you cannot defend yourself," Macron said during an official visit to Germany.

Macron's remarks came after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged alliance members to lift some restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons, stating that the right to self-defense includes hitting legitimate targets outside Ukraine.

Earlier this month, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron's comment that Ukraine could use British long-range weapons, such as the Storm Shadow cruise missile, to strike back at Russia was interpreted as a threat by Moscow.

 In response, Russia announced it would hold drills involving tactical nuclear weapons and warned of potential retaliatory strikes on British military facilities and equipment.

Macron emphasized that only Russian bases used to launch attacks on Ukraine should be considered legitimate targets, not other Russian bases or civilian infrastructure. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking alongside Macron, was more cautious, emphasizing that Ukraine is allowed to defend itself under international law but avoiding steps that could escalate into a NATO-Russia confrontation.

In Washington, the U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated that there is no change to the U.S. policy, stating, “We don’t encourage or enable the use of U.S.-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia.”

Amid these discussions, Western leaders have increased military aid to Ukraine. 

Belgium and Spain have each pledged around 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in new military support, while Sweden announced its largest aid package to date, worth 13 billion kronor ($1.23 billion), including air defense systems, artillery ammunition, and armored vehicles.