President Macron calls for allowing Ukraine to attack Russian territory
French President Emmanuel Macron called on the West to allow Ukraine to use weapons to attack targets on Russian territory.
According to RIA Novosti, speaking at a press conference with the German Chancellor on May 28, broadcast live on the Élysée Palace's social network X, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces should be allowed by the West to use weapons to attack targets in Russian territory.
"We must allow Ukraine to destroy military targets on Russian territory where shelling is taking place, but we must not allow Ukraine to be exposed to attacks on other military and civilian targets on its territory," President Macron said.
In addition, according to the French leader, the transfer to Kiev of long-range weapons capable of attacking Russian military targets is not an escalation of the conflict.
Also on May 28, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the alliance's defense ministers will discuss the possibility of lifting restrictions on Kiev's attacks with Western weapons on Russian territory, following a call from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
A day earlier, NATO Secretary General said that Ukraine "has the right to strike" military targets on Russian territory. Mr. Stoltenberg added that some allies have lifted restrictions on strikes, and he said it was time for all to lift others together.
Responding to these statements, on the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that NATO was using rhetoric, increasing the level of escalation and falling into a state of military "psychosis". Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out that Mr. Stoltenberg had exceeded his authority. "The Secretary General of the alliance has been surrounded by NATO members themselves," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
Recently, a number of Western countries have increasingly talked about direct intervention in the conflict in Ukraine. French President Macron has repeatedly stated this. According to him, Paris does not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, if Russia breaks through the front line and Kiev asks for help.
German magazine Der Spiegel reported on May 26 that the Baltic countries and Poland "warned" Germany that they could send troops to Ukraine if developments were unfavorable for Kiev./.