"Ukraine has right to defend itself" – Stoltenberg on aerial attacks on Russia
Russia started the war of aggression against Ukraine, and therefore Ukraine has every right to defend itself as it sees fit.
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, in talks with the media before the meeting of NATO ministers in Oslo, said this.
Stoltenberg was asked how NATO could comment on the latest series of attacks on Russian territory. This includes the drones near Moscow, which are linked to Ukraine.
Our point is the same as it was at the beginning of the war: Ukraine has the right to defend itself. The aggressive war of Russia is a gross violation of international law, and the right to self-defense is enshrined in the UN Charter.
President Putin started this war and he can end this war. And this is the way to peace and stability and to prevent a new escalation of the war, said the Secretary General.
The NATO leader added that the allies are determined to support Ukraine as long as necessary, and this does not make NATO a party to the conflict.
NATO has two tasks in this situation: to support Ukraine, which we are doing, and to prevent Russia's aggressive war from going beyond the borders of Ukraine, the Secretary General added.
The White House, when asked about possible Ukrainian attacks on the territory of Russia, said that they oppose strikes on the Russian Federation, but Ukraine is the one to decide.
London and Berlin emphasized that Ukraine has the right to strike the aggressor's territory for the purpose of self-defense.
On the night of May 30, 2023, Moscow and its suburbs were attacked by about 25 drones.
On May 22, explosions rang out in the Belgorod region, and later information about the arrival of Russian volunteers to this territory appeared in the Ukrainian and Russian media. The Intelligence of Ukraine said that an operation to "create a security zone" is being conducted in this region exclusively with the participation of Russian citizens.
