Italy Opposes Ukraine's Use of NATO Weapons on Russia

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated Italy's stance against Ukraine using supplied weapons to strike Russian territories.

This comes in response to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's suggestion to lift restrictions on such usage.

Italian media reported that Stoltenberg, in an interview with the British weekly "The Economist," proposed that Ukraine's allies should consider allowing Kyiv to use NATO-supplied weapons to target Russia, rather than restricting their use to Ukrainian territory.

Meloni expressed her disapproval, stating on Italian television that she did not understand why Stoltenberg would make such a suggestion and emphasized the need for extreme caution.

Ukraine has been regularly conducting cross-border strikes into Russia, particularly targeting the Belgorod region.

These actions are seen as retaliation since Moscow launched its invasion in February 2022. Until now, Ukraine has primarily used domestically made drones for these strikes.

In the interview published by "The Economist," Stoltenberg suggested that it might be time for allies to reconsider the restrictions they have imposed on the use of weapons provided to Ukraine.

He pointed out that preventing Ukraine from using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian soil complicates their defense efforts.