Germany authorizes Ukraine to use weapons at its discretion
Фото: Mykhalchuk Serhii
Weapons provided by Germany to the Ukrainian side become its property from the moment of their transfer and can be used by it in the way Kyiv considers necessary and correct.
This was stated at a briefing on Monday by German Defense Ministry spokesman Arno Kollatz.
The Ministry of Defense does not question the legality of actions in the Kursk region: international law provides for the possibility of conducting military operations in the territory of the aggressor country to protect its own state, Kollatz said. Therefore, he said, this does not imply any special conditions for the use of weapons provided by the Bundeswehr.
"After the weapons from Germany were transferred to Ukraine, they already belong to Ukraine, they are Ukrainian weapons… There are no obstacles, so Ukraine is free to choose its options," the officer said, adding that Ukraine is obliged to comply with international law.
Kollatz clarified that the use of long-range weapons is a different political issue, but this is not the case here.
Deputy spokesman for the Federal Government Wolfgang Büchner, in turn, said that Berlin is intensively consulting with its closest allies and the government in Kyiv about the "specific weapons systems" used by Ukraine.
The deputy spokesperson did not give an assessment of the operation in the Kursk region, noting that the military situation is constantly changing, with "contradictory and sometimes deliberately falsified news coming from the scene." This is a very secret operation, "prepared without feedback," he added, noting that everything indicates that it is a limited operation, so it is too early to assess it.
Earlier, the head of the Bundestag's defense committee, Markus Faber, said that German military assistance to Ukraine is the best investment in European security, as it reduces the potential of the Russian threat every day. He added that he sees no problems with the use of German armored vehicles on Russian territory.
