NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine has the right to self-defense and can launch F-16 strikes against military targets in Russia.
The statement of the Alliance Secretary General is quoted by Rossiyskaya Gazeta:
“Ukraine has the right to self-defense, including the right to strike legitimate Russian military targets outside Ukraine.”
How writes BB.LV February 22, the Ukrainian army may receive the first F-16s this summer, Denmark is preparing to transfer the aircraft. A representative of the North Atlantic Alliance confirmed Financial Timesthat NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was indeed referring to Ukraine’s right to self-defense, including striking legitimate Russian military targets outside Ukraine:
“Each ally decides for itself whether there are any reservations about what it supplies, and different allies have slightly different policies in this regard. But in general we must remember what we are talking about. This is a Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which is a flagrant violation of international law. And according to international law, Ukraine has the right to self-defense. And it also provides for striking legitimate military targets, Russian military targets outside of Ukraine. This is international law, and, of course, Ukraine has the right to do this, to protect yourself.”
These words are a step forward in the rhetoric of Stoltenberg, who previously spoke about Kyiv’s rights under international law without directly mentioning attacks on Russian territory.
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