Kühnert opposes employing Western weaponry against Russian positions.
Kevin Kühnert, the SPD general secretary, disagrees with using Western weapons from Ukraine against locations on Russian land. During an interview on ZDF's "Morning Magazine," he described the Russian assault on Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities as "terror against the civilian population." Kühnert emphasized, "But that doesn't mean we can do anything we want."
Ukraine has the right to attack military installations on Russian soil, according to Kühnert, but he highlighted the potential consequences of such actions. "What we would then need to discuss," he said, "would be if a Western weapon accidentally hits a civilian infrastructure in Russia." This warning has been shared by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Kühnert noted, explaining why Scholz's stance is logical and relatable.
Recently, certain foreign policy politicians from the Ampel Coalition and the opposition have suggested increasing German military support for Ukraine in response to the difficult military situation in the country. These proposals include CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter's idea of a "Coalition of the Willing" composed of Western nations. This proposal would entail extending their own air defense in a 70-100 kilometer corridor onto the western territory of Ukraine to ease the burden on the Ukrainian armed forces.
However, Kühnert voiced his skepticism on ZDF, arguing that this would effectively bring NATO territory into the conflict. Instead, he suggested offering Ukraine more air defense systems as a "better solution." Germany has already provided three Patriot systems and has recently delivered an additional Irsa-T air defense system.
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- Despite the calls for increased German military support from some politicians, Kühnert cautions against bringing NATO territory into the Ukraine war by extending air defense coverage to Ukrainian territory.
- Kühnert, during his interview, expressed concerns about the potential use of Western weapons in Ukraine, emphasizing the risk of civilian infrastructure being inadvertently targeted in Russia.
- In contrast to the proposal for a "Coalition of the Willing" by CDU politician Kiesewetter, Kühnert advocates for providing Ukraine with additional air defense systems as a safer alternative to directly engaging Russian positions.
Source: www.ntv.de
