German Chancellor defends Ukraine’s right to attack the Russian rear with allied weapons

Berlin, May 27 (EFE).- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended this Tuesday Ukraine’s right to attack, including with German weapons, military targets located in the rear, while emphasizing the need to assume that the war will be long-lasting given Moscow’s refusal to declare a ceasefire. “He who only defends himself against an attack on his own territory cannot defend himself sufficiently. Only he can defend himself who has the capacity to attack military bases that are also located in the aggressor’s territory,” Merz said at a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in the Finnish city of Turku.

“In this sense, Ukraine has been given, as it should be, the ability a long time ago to truly defend itself from Russian aggression,” the conservative leader pointed out.

The chancellor added that limiting the scope of the weapons used played a role a few years ago and even a few months ago, but that in the meantime and for some time now, the countries that imposed these restrictions abandoned them in relation to the weapons they supply to Ukraine, something he described as “necessary”. Merz made these clarifications after he said the previous day at the European Forum of the WDR television channel that there are no longer any limitations on the range of the Western weapons supplied to Kyiv, neither from the British, nor the French, nor the Americans, nor the Germans.

The German Chancellor assured that what he described was “something that has been happening for months, namely, that Ukraine has the right to use the weapons it receives, even beyond its own borders, against military targets on Russian territory”.

What is new is that Germany has joined London, Paris, and Washington in lifting these restrictions after these capitals allowed Ukraine to attack military targets on the other side of the Ukrainian border in the northeast of the country with long-range missiles supplied by them.

This represents a change in stance compared to his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, who refused to supply long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, believing that Russia could perceive it as a direct involvement of Germany in the war.

Merz emphasized the importance of paying attention and observing not only one’s own territory, but also closely monitoring what happens beyond the borders of one’s own territory.

“And when I say our own, I am referring above all to the territory of NATO, but also to the territory of Ukraine, which we are trying to protect with the support of the Ukrainian army in such a way that Ukraine is in a position to defend itself,” he added.

Furthermore, Merz referred to Moscow’s refusal to accept a truce and stated that if the Russian side is not even willing to accept an invitation or mediation from the Vatican, that shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia “obviously have no interest at this moment in reaching a ceasefire or even a peace agreement,” he pointed out.

Consequently, this means that “Ukraine must continue to defend itself and that we must increase our efforts so that Ukraine can defend itself,” he added.

According to the chancellor, wars usually come to an end due to economic or military exhaustion of one or both sides, something that is still very far off in the case of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, so it must be assumed that it will still be prolonged for a longer period of time, he warned.

“But that doesn’t change our determination to support Ukraine,” he assured, while emphasizing that Russia poses a threat to the entire continent, which will be defended against.