Russian incursion - Ukraine confrontation: a current overview
The US government has granted Ukraine the permission to use American weapons against Russian targets in a limited capacity. This authorization is specific to retaliating against Russian forces attacking or preparing to attack Kharkiv, a city in Eastern Ukraine. A US government representative informed dpa in Washington of this decision.
The Ukrainian military is now authorized to take the offensive against Russian forces menacing their territory, but using US weapons on Russian targets is still prohibited. During a trip to the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled a new German weapons package worth €500 million.
There's a heated discussion among NATO members about allowing Ukraine to use all Western-supplied weapons to target Russian military positions. This is a demand Ukraine has expressed for a while now in a bid to more effectively tackle Russian positions during the ongoing conflict. Until now, Ukraine has mainly relied on their own rockets and drones for these purposes. However, western weapons have been mostly deployed against Russian positions in the territories occupied by Moscow.
NATO countries have imposed strict conditions on the use of certain weapons systems, concerned that the conflict could intensify and potentially involve NATO in the war. Chancellor Olaf Scholz was posed a question about Ukraine's potential to use Western-supplied weapons against Russian targets during a citizen's dialogue in Erfurt. Scholz responded, "Ukraine has been attacked and it has many options that international law offers. At the same time, we've made agreements with Ukraine that we can't change."
Nonetheless, Scholz declared that there would be no more troops sent from Western nations to Ukraine, and he also dismissed the idea of a Western-enforced no-fly zone in Ukraine.
Pistorius unveils new aid package
During a gathering with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjerov in Odessa, Pistorius promised more support. "We will continue to help you in this battle," Pistorius said. Some of the supplies are already en route. The German aid package includes several types of missiles for air defense systems, drones for reconnaissance and combat, spare parts for artillery systems, and engagement engines for combat tanks. Additionally, Ukraine will receive a million rounds of ammunition for small arms. Starting in 2025, the delivery of 18 new self-propelled howitzers of the latest model will follow.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been requesting restrictions on the use of Western weapons for attacking Russian military targets be lifted. Stoltenberg also lamented the inadequacy of the military support for Ukraine and called for more efforts from the allies.
"The truth is, what we have done so far is not enough," Stoltenberg stated at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Prague. Lately, there have been significant shortcomings in the supply of air defense systems and ammunition.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed the importance of international aid for Ukrainian air defense in his evening address. He next thanked all the countries that have contributed to Ukraine's air defense.
Russia rebukes F-16 jet distributions
In response to the Western support for Ukraine, Russia once again denounced the prospect of F-16 fighter jets being delivered. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed these sentiments in an interview with the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. "Therefore, we can only view the delivery of these systems to the Kiev regime as a calculated signal in the nuclear field by NATO." The Russian propaganda machinery has been repeating the claim that the F-16 deliveries to Ukraine pose a nuclear threat. However, it's important to note that there's no debate over Ukraine's ability to equip the jets with nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Prague is still ongoing, and German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht is visiting the Ukraine-adjacent republic of Moldova.
The NATO conducted its largest drill since the end of the Cold War. Over 90,000 soldiers and troops, 50 warships, 1,100 combat vehicles, 80 aircraft, with hundreds of flights, took part in the exercise. The training focused on the preparation of national and multinational land forces along the NATO eastern border, stretching from the Arctic circle to the Romanian Carpathians.
