Russia – Ukraine war: US and Germany support Kyiv’s use of its weaponry to attack Russia over Kharkiv 

According to a government spokesman on Friday, Berlin has granted Ukraine authorization to use its weaponry to attack Russian territory. The decision comes after a similar action taken by the Biden administration, to permit Ukrainian forces to use weaponry supplied by the United States to target areas inside Russia close to the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which has been under constant shelling.  

Recent Striking 

According to Ukrainian officials, at least four people have died as a result of ballistic missiles striking an apartment block in Kharkiv. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia fired five S-300/S-400 ballistic missiles against Kharkiv last night. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov stated that shortly after midnight, one of them hit a residential building, and 25 minutes later, another missile targeted first responders. Apparently, at least twenty-five people were hurt. 

The United States’ position was reversed by that decision, and it seems the German government has now done the same. According to German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit on Friday, Russia has prepared, coordinated, and executed out attacks from bases in the Kharkiv area, especially from the directly adjacent border area, in recent weeks.  

He continued, saying that Ukraine has the right, guaranteed by international law, to safeguard itself against these attacks. To do therefore, it can use the weapons provided for this intent in compliance with its obligations under international law, which include those supplied by them.   

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has emphasized Ukraine’s right to self-defense in recent days by hitting targets within Russia that are in line with international conventions, but he hasn’t said definitively if Berlin has granted Ukraine authorization to deploy German-supplied weaponry for that purpose. Scholz has so far refused to provide Ukraine with its long-range Taurus cruise missiles, claiming that doing so would put Germany in direct conflict with Russia. These missiles have the ability to strike far into Russian territory.  

However, Germany has also provided other weaponry, including as self-propelled howitzers and Mars II rocket launchers, which may be used to attack targets close to the city of Kharkiv.  

Leaders of NATO nations have been debating whether or not to permit Ukraine to use Western weapons to attack military targets in recent weeks. Leaders in Ukraine have said that limitations on their ability to employ these weapons have given the Russians the freedom to attack their country from their territory without much fear of reprisal.  

Despite the recent policy turnaround from Washington, the Biden administration continues to forbid Ukraine from using American cruise missiles to launch assaults deep into Russian territory out of concern that such attacks could aggravate hostilities. The prohibition on the use of Western weapons has angered Ukrainian leaders, particularly considering the Russian assault on Kharkiv this month, which has left Kyiv’s outmanned and outgunned soldiers stretched out. 

Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, also supported Ukraine utilising weaponry supplied by the West to attack legal military targets located within Russian territory on Friday in Prague. The United States is by far Kyiv’s biggest arms provider, and a spokesman for the Kremlin stated on Friday that Kyiv has already attempted to use US weaponry to hit targets on Russian territory. 

Russia’s response 

Ukraine and its NATO partners will face such a catastrophic response that the alliance won’t be able to resist entering the battle, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, responded on Friday. Western governments have ruled out this possibility. President Vladimir Putin of has frequently warned that the West’s direct engagement could lead to nuclear conflict. Therefore, Western politicians have been reluctant to loosen constraints on their weapons for fear of provoking him. Russia announced last week that tactical nuclear weapons military drills had started. 

However, given that Russia now controls the battlefield in certain areas of the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, some Western officials have urged for a shift in policy that would allow Kyiv to use advanced long-range weaponry supplied by its allies to hit military bases. The larger and more sophisticated army of the Kremlin is taking advantage of Ukraine’s manpower and ammunition shortfalls following a protracted lapse in U.S. military assistance.  

The insufficient military output in Western Europe has also caused a delay in vital supplies to Ukraine.