Zelenskyy on lifting strike limits against Russia: No consensus yet
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
There is currently no consensus among allies on lifting restrictions for Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike Russia. However, discussions are ongoing, states Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"There's no consensus yet. But I remember working on using the appropriate weapons on the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. At that time, there was also no consensus, but it’s important to find at least one key ally, and then others may follow," the president stated.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine is working on lifting restrictions on the use of long-range weapons. The president noted that he has met with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and has spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding this issue.
"If the situation in the country allows me to attend the UN General Assembly in September, we will summarise the results of all these meetings with President Biden," the head of state said.
Background
Allies permitted Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons to strike Russian territory amid Russia's offensive in the northern Kharkiv region. However, some countries have imposed restrictions.
Specifically, the US and Germany allow the use of weapons only in the border areas of Russia.
Ukraine urges its partners to allow strikes on Russia with the long-range weapons provided. However, the US and Germany have not made any such decisions.
For more information on why Ukraine is not being granted "long-range" capabilities to strike Russia, see our detailed article.
