Ukraine May Justify Military Action Deeper Inside Russia

PRAGUE (Reuters) – A senior NATO military official stated on Saturday that Ukraine has valid military reasons to conduct strikes deeper into Russian territory using Western weapons.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday as allies of Ukraine deliberated over whether to permit Kyiv to utilize long-range missiles against Russian targets.

President Vladimir Putin has warned that the West would be engaging directly in conflict with Russia if Ukraine were allowed to launch attacks with Western-supplied long-range missiles.

During a NATO Military Committee meeting in Prague, Admiral Rob Bauer, the committee’s chairman, emphasized that international law permits a nation the right to defend itself, a right that extends beyond its borders.

Bauer noted that while nations supplying weapons are entitled to impose restrictions on their use, there remains a sound military rationale for conducting such attacks. He stated, "In military terms, you do (those attacks) because you want to weaken the enemy that attacks you… to not only confront the arrows that come your way but to also target the archer." He added that such military actions aim to disrupt the enemy’s logistics, fuel, and ammunition supplies.

He also highlighted a political dimension to the decision, indicating that countries providing arms may feel a sense of responsibility for their deployment, leading to ongoing discussions on the matter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been advocating for allies to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles, including long-range U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, to diminish Moscow’s capacity for launching assaults.

Furthermore, Putin claimed on Thursday that the actual programming of the missiles’ flight paths would need to be handled by NATO military personnel, as Kyiv lacks the necessary capabilities.