Austrian Defense Minister Claudia Tanner said that permission from the US, France and Germany to strike military targets on Russian territory is a red line crossing.
The journalist inquired about the opinion of the head of the Austrian Ministry of Defense regarding the permission of the US, France and Germany to the Ukrainian military to use Western weapons to strike targets on the territory of Russia, reports RBC-Ukraine.
“The red line has been crossed. That is why I am very happy with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s clarification that NATO will not send troops to Ukraine,” Tanner said.
The journalist recalled that the reason for such a decision by Western countries is that without it, it is difficult for Ukraine to defend itself against shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation, in particular, when defending the Kharkiv region. He asked whether the minister does not think that Ukraine has the right to this.
“As a militarily neutral state, it’s not for us to judge,” Tanner replied.
Permission to use American weapons for attacks on Russia
It will be recalled that at the end of May, the US Ministry of Defense announced the provision of a new military aid package worth 275 million dollars to Ukraine. It included Himars missiles.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken officially announced that US President Joe Biden has given permission to Ukraine to strike military targets on the territory of Russia with weapons received from the US.
The White House stated that the US permission to strike with American weapons extends to the border not only of the Kharkiv region, but also of the Sumy region. At the same time, the permit does not extend to long-range ATACMS missiles.
According to unconfirmed reports, on June 2, Ukraine hit a S-300/S-400 installation 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border using the HIMARS system, from which Russia was shelling Kharkiv.
German permission
We will remind you that last week, after long discussions, the German government allowed Ukraine to use German weapons for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation. However, it is possible to strike only on the territory bordering Kharkiv Oblast.
Permission of France
French President Emmanuel Macron also confirmed the permission for Ukraine to hit Russia with French weapons and noted that the limit is set by what the Russians do.