The outgoing NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, expressed on Monday his support for discussions regarding Ukraine's potential use of long-range missiles to target Russian territory, emphasizing that any final decision on this matter would be made by individual member states. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been urging allies for months to permit Ukraine to employ Western missiles, including long-range U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, to weaken Moscow's offensive capabilities.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden met in Washington on Friday to discuss whether to grant Kyiv permission to use these long-range missiles against Russian targets. No definitive decision was made public.
"I welcome these discussions and potential decisions, but it is up to individual allies to make the ultimate choices," Stoltenberg stated during an interview with LBC radio. "Allies have varying policies on this issue."
Some U.S. officials remain highly doubtful that allowing the use of such missiles would significantly impact Kyiv's struggle against Russian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the West would be engaging in direct conflict with Russia if it were to permit Ukraine to strike with Western-made long-range missiles.
When questioned about possible Russian retaliation, Stoltenberg acknowledged that "there are no risk-free options in this war." However, he continued, "I still believe that the greatest risk for us, for the United Kingdom, and for NATO, would be if President Putin prevails in Ukraine."
