Washington has informed Berlin about the decision to allow Kyiv to strike the depths of Russia with Western long-range weapons, the German Government reports.
On the evening of November 17, The New York Times, citing American officials, reported that US President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory.
Berlin noted that Washington's decision will not affect Chancellor Olaf Scholz's refusal to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Scholz spoke against the delivery of these missiles at the end of February 2024. He explained the decision by the danger of Germany getting involved in the Ukraine conflict.
For his part, Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani stated that Rome has not changed its position on the use of Western weapons in Ukraine after the decision of the outgoing US President Joe Biden. "Our position regarding the use of weapons does not change, they can be used only within the borders of Ukraine," the Minister said.
The head of the EU's diplomatic service, Josep Borrell, also announced that the issue of lifting restrictions on deep strikes against Russia will be discussed on Monday, November 18, at the Council of Foreign Ministers. According to him, from the beginning he defended Kyiv in the matter of using long-range weapons.
The permission of the armed forces of Ukraine to strike the depths of Russia with long-range weapons means a new stage of tension in the conflict, said the press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov.
