NATO support for Ukrainian strikes in Russia raises tensions

Western countries supplying weapons to Ukraine agree that it can use them to attack targets in Russia. "This is not 'military assistance,' but participation in a war against us," claims Dmitry Medvedev. The Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council added that "The West might mistakenly estimate that Russia would never use nuclear weapons."

Western countries are giving Ukraine permission to use supplied weapons to attack military targets on Russian territory. NATO countries explain that Ukraine "must and has the right to defend itself."

On Thursday, White House officials said that a fundamental change in President Joe Biden's policy on Ukraine included only what they described as "acts of self-defense aimed at allowing Ukraine to protect Kharkiv." "By changing his stance, Biden clearly crossed the red line he had set," writes "The New York Times."

At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that Ukrainians have the right to self-defense, including striking military targets outside their territory from which Russians are attacking. In his opinion, NATO members should reconsider the limitations on the use of weapons they are sending to Ukraine.

In response on Friday, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev wrote that "all Western military equipment will be destroyed not only in Ukraine but also on the territory of other countries if attacks on Russia originate from there."

He added that Russia "benefits from the fact that all long-range weapons supplied to Ukraine are directly controlled by NATO military." "This is not 'military assistance,' but participation in a war against us. NATO will have to decide how to classify the effects of possible retaliatory strikes on individual bloc countries' equipment, objects, and military personnel within the context of Articles 4 and 5 of the Washington Treaty," Medvedev claims.

He calls the decision to permit Ukraine to attack with Western weapons "dangerous and harmful." "Such individual NATO countries' assistance against Russia, whether controlling its long-range cruise missiles or sending a contingent of soldiers to Ukraine, means a serious escalation of the conflict. (...) The West might mistakenly estimate that Russia would never use nuclear weapons," Medvedev warned.

Earlier that same day, Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said that Vladimir Putin's threats against NATO "are nothing new" and "appear every time we provide support to Ukraine." He reiterated that Ukraine using weapons received from NATO countries to attack targets in Russia does not make the Alliance a party to the conflict.

Stoltenberg addressed the issue of lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of weapons supplied by allies. Some countries require that the Ukrainian military only use delivered weapons within their own territory, making it difficult to repel attacks conducted in the Kharkiv region from Russian territory.

"It makes it very hard for Ukraine to defend themselves if they're not allowed to use advanced weapons to repel those attacks," he said. "Many Allies have made it clear that they, of course, accept that Ukraine is using the weapons they have received to defend themselves, including by striking military targets inside Russia. Especially when those military facilities are used in attacking and directing attacks from Russian soil. Then, we all expect that this is done according to international law, and responsibly." he added.