Claims that the decision by NATO allies to allow Ukraine to strike legitimate targets on Russian territory will mean NATO’s involvement in this war are false.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term of office in this post expires on October 1, stated this in an interview with the British newspaper The Times, Ukrinform reports.
“It’s wrong to say that NATO allies would be a party to the conflict if they allow the weapons to be used against legitimate targets on Russian territory. North Korea and Iran are providing significant military support and providing missiles, drones to Russia without them becoming a direct party to the conflict,” Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg said he supported allies, such as Britain and France, that have backed giving Kyiv authorization to use long-range missiles, such as British Storm Shadows, to strike Russia. However, he stressed that authorizing their use was a matter for individual countries, not NATO.
“These are decisions for individual allies to make. I have welcomed the fact that allies have removed or loosened the restrictions on the use of weapons,” Stoltenberg said.
He dismissed Putin’s warning that Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles against military targets in Russia would be a “red line” putting Russia “at war” with NATO.
“There have been many red lines declared by him [Putin] before, and he has not escalated, meaning also involving NATO allies directly in the conflict. He has not done so, because he realizes that NATO is the strongest military alliance in the world. They also realize that nuclear weapons, nuclear war, cannot be won and should not be fought. And we have made that very clear to him several times,” Stoltenberg said.
Photo: NATO
