NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed support for ongoing discussions regarding Ukraine’s potential use of long-range missiles to strike targets within Russian territory, according to Politico.
Speaking to LBC radio on 16 September, Stoltenberg emphasized that the final determination rests with individual NATO allies:
“I welcome these developments and these decisions but it’s for individual allies to make the final decisions,” Stoltenberg stated, adding, “Allies have different policies on this.”
The topic has gained traction following talks between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden in Washington on 15 September. The leaders discussed the possibility of allowing Kyiv to use long-range weapons, including US-made ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles, against targets in Russia. However, no decision was announced following their meeting.
Stoltenberg addressed concerns about potential Russian retaliation, stating,
“There are no risk-free options in the war,” he said, adding, “But I continue to believe that the biggest risk for us, for [the] United Kingdom, for NATO, will be if President Putin wins in Ukraine.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened that allowing Ukraine to strike with Western-made long-range missiles would amount to the West directly fighting Russia.
Similar threats came from Russia before the approval of almost every western weapon’s supplies to Ukraine, including artillery, tanks, and F-16 fighter jets.
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