Podolyak on lifting Western strike restrictions: 'There are undoubtedly prospects'
Mykhailo Podolyak, an Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview with the YouTube channel RBC-Ukraine, states that Western allies may lift restrictions on Ukrainian forces striking Russia with the weapons they have supplied. There are prospects for such a step.
Prospects for lifting restrictions
"There are undoubtedly prospects for lifting restrictions on strikes against Russia. We are now 2.5 years into the full-scale invasion. We see significant changes in the political stance of many countries. We also see changes in the types of weapons being provided to Ukraine. Practically all types of weapons are now available," Podolyak emphasized.
He noted that there are still some issues with partners regarding certain matters. One of them is the final decision that Russia must inevitably lose. The other is the speed of decision-making and the rapid supply of weapons.
"This is more related to a partial lack of will. There's still some fear among political elites, and bureaucracy is very high," explained the advisor to the head of the Office of the President.
Currently, according to Podolyak, Ukraine needs to focus on two components. The first is providing rational arguments that Russia will not stop under any circumstances because it recognizes the absence of any deterrents.
"Russia clearly understands this. And if it is not held legally accountable for its crimes, it will simply escalate them, taking pauses in between," he clarified.
The second component is emotional. With its help, pressure can be applied to political elites by voters. To achieve this, it is necessary to show them how civilians are dying in Ukraine and to illustrate the horrors happening in the 21st century.
"Therefore, both rational and emotional components are needed. Our partners must finally, through their societies, realize the horror of living during a war. Not a war between military forces, but a war of one country's military against the civilian population of another," Podolyak noted.
Background
It should be recalled that Western allies, despite Ukraine's calls, have so far been unable to allow Ukrainian defenders to strike deep into Russian territory with the provided weapons.
For example, after the Russian attack on the northern Kharkiv region, the United States only permitted attacks on the border areas of Russian territory.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted, simply getting permission from allies to strike Russian territory is not enough. Ukraine needs the appropriate weapons to be delivered.
