Senior officials in Finland have stated that Ukraine is permitted to use weapons provided by Helsinki to strike targets within Russian territory.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen conveyed that his country has not imposed any restrictions on how Ukraine might utilize the weapons supplied, as reported by Politico Europe.
Kaikkonen further elaborated that bans were primarily imposed by countries that supplied Ukraine with long-range weapon systems.
“If necessary, Ukraine should also be able to hit military targets on the Russian side. It’s a completely legitimate defensive battle that Ukraine is fighting,” he stated.
Jukka Kopra, head of the Finnish parliamentary defense committee, mentioned that the United Nations Charter allows for attacking military targets across national borders.
Politico highlighted that these remarks starkly contrast the stance of other Western nations, including Germany.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has hesitated to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, fearing the weapons might be used to strike deep within Russia, potentially drawing Germany directly into a conflict with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Kaikkonen encouraged Germany to seriously consider the matter, noting, “The German government knows it would be of significant importance.”
