EU debates allowing Ukraine to target Russia with missiles
France, which has already supplied Ukraine with long-range missiles, indicated on Monday that it could also permit Kyiv to strike military targets within Russia, following reports suggesting that the United States had already made this decision.
"We have openly stated that this is an option we have always considered," said Jean-Noël Barrot before the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, according to Reuters.
Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, also expressed hope that EU members might agree to allow Ukraine to use weapons to target inside Russia, Reuters reported.
"I have said repeatedly that Ukraine should be able to use the weapons we’ve provided, not only to stop the missiles but also to strike the launchers," Borrell said ahead of the Brussels foreign ministers' meeting.
On the other hand, Hungary's foreign minister strongly criticized the announcement that the Biden administration had permitted Kyiv to use long-range weapons on Russian territory, even though it appears the permission may be limited to the Kursk region, partially controlled by Ukrainian troops.
The Biden administration has not yet officially confirmed the reports from Western media, which are based on information provided directly by the White House.
Germany, on the other hand, continues to firmly refuse Chancellor Olaf Scholz's stance on delivering long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. However, a German software company has confirmed it intends to supply Ukraine with 4,000 attack drones, according to the Ministry of Defense. These drones, named "Mini-Taur," are powered by Artificial Intelligence, according to German media reports. They are more precise, even in poor weather conditions or when communication is compromised.
Péter Szijjártó stated that the electoral victory of Republican Donald Trump in the presidential elections created a new reality where "the people are asking for peace"—instead of what Budapest sees as an escalation of the war, according to Politico. Hungary is the only EU country that maintains ties with Moscow.
Kremlin's Reaction
The permission granted by the United States for Ukraine to use American long-range missiles on Russian territory is likely to "fuel the fire" of the conflict in Ukraine, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday.
If officially confirmed by Washington, this permission would lead to "a fundamentally new situation regarding U.S. involvement in this conflict," he warned.
"We start primarily from this," he pointed out, citing TASS.
"It is clear that the current administration in Washington intends to take measures to continue fueling the fire and provoke tensions around this conflict," Peskov said when asked about reports in Western media that the Biden administration had approved attacks with American long-range weapons on Russian territory. However, he emphasized that no official announcement had been made yet.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
