Member states are deciding for themselves how Kiev can use its weapons, foreign policy chief says
The EU cannot give Ukraine the green light to use weapons donated by member states for long-range strikes against Russia because national governments want to make such decisions individually, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Kiev claims its inability to strike targets deep inside Russia with Western weapons is preventing it from making progress on the battlefield. The issue was discussed on Thursday at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Borrel told reporters after the meeting.
“Member States want to keep this decision as a national decision, and each will take the decision it considers appropriate,” he said.
As many EU states are not supplying Ukraine with long-range weapons, their “practical participation” in formulating policy is debatable, Borrell said, noting that arms-supplying nations want to guide Ukraine on how its hardware can be used, rather than delegating the decision to the EU.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba called for range limits to be abolished and complained that not all weapons promised to his nation had been delivered, before attending the EU meeting.
“Those who try to blame Ukraine for not being successful enough should always remember that Russia’s success depends on one thing: the readiness of partners to make bold decisions,” he said, speaking to English-language media. “If they are not taken, do not complain about Ukraine, complain about yourself”.
Borrell supported Kuleba’s call, saying there should be no restrictions on Ukrainian military action.
Earlier this week, Kiev lost the first of a small number of F-16 fighter jets supplied to it by European sponsors. The plane’s destruction was confirmed on Thursday evening after reports emerged in Western media. Kiev has not disclosed the circumstances of the incident, but a Ukrainian lawmaker and some other sources claimed it was shot down by friendly fire from a battery of American-made Patriot missiles.
Moscow has said that no amount of foreign weapons can change the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine, as Russia’s objectives are a vital matter of national security. Such shipments simply prolong hostilities and increase the cost of the crisis, Russian officials said.