Ukraine has the right according to international law to attack legitimate military targets in Russia to defend itself, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to new alliance member Sweden on Friday.
“Ukraine has the right to self defence,” Stoltenberg told a news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at a military base near Stockholm.
“The right to self defence also includes the right to hit legitimate, military targets on the territory of the attacking party, the aggressor, in this case Russia.”
The Kremlin said this week that Western nations supplying Ukraine with weapons to strike Russian territory will have to reckon with Russia, after President Vladimir Putin said he was considering arming the West’s enemies in retaliation.
“This is a war of attack that Russia has begun against a peaceful, democratic neighbouring country, Ukraine, that at no point has been a threat to Russia,” Stoltenberg said.
The entire gamut of Ukraine strategy has been based on Ukraine not attacking deep in Russian territory. Such a strategy has been adopted in spite of the Russians having initially run an armoured thrust to Kiev, deep inside Ukrainian territory.
Militarily, no army can win a battle if it does not assault its enemy and unhinge him by placing a substantive force to the enemy’s rear. Similarly, the civil population of the enemy country will not pressurise its own government to stop the war until and unless they get some idea about the death and destruction it causes. The popularity rating of Putin has not reflected any downward trend as yet.
“There is no question that Ukraine has the right to hit targets on Russian territory,” Stoltenberg said.
The Russians will continue to hold the threat of the war escalating to spread to other EU countries, however, the EU has to face the situation and take a stance.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
