Ukraine Calls on Lifting Restrictions on Western Weapons Usage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has reiterated the call for Ukraine to be allowed to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets within Russia.

This appeal comes as some of Kyiv's allies are reportedly considering such a move.

Podolyak emphasized on Thursday, during a talk show on Germany's ZDF radio, that lifting the restrictions on Western-supplied arms to enable Ukraine to target Russian sites is in accordance with international law.

He argued that to stop Moscow, which has been waging war against Ukraine for over two years, Kyiv needs the ability to hit military installations within Russia.

Following the deadly shelling of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city near the Russian border, President Zelensky demanded that Ukraine be allowed to use Western weapons against targets in Russia.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has recently supported this request, urging member nations to partially lift restrictions on Ukrainian military actions.

Reports from yesterday suggest that Washington has secretly permitted Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons in a limited capacity against Russian targets.

According to Politico and CNN, this permission is confined to counterattacks defending Kharkiv.

In Europe, there is no consensus among leaders on this issue. While French President Emmanuel Macron has shown support for a partial lifting of the restrictions, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz remains hesitant to endorse such a move.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who visited Ukraine on Thursday, expressed caution. 

He noted that international law allows for the lifting of restrictions on supplied weapons but pointed out that bilateral agreements between Ukraine and its Western allies include confidential details.