Macron and Scholz Support Ukraine’s Right to Strike Military Positions in Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke in favor of allowing Ukraine to execute military strikes on Russian soil, particularly targeting positions from which attacks on Ukraine are carried out.

On May 28 at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Germany, Macron stated: “We think that we should allow them to neutralize military sites where missiles are fired, from where… Ukraine is attacked,”

He stressed that “we should not allow them to touch other targets in Russia, and obviously civilian capacities.”

At the same time Scholz expressed a more cautious stance, stating that as long as Ukraine adhered to international law and complied with the terms set by the countries providing weaponry, it retained the right to self-defense.

“Ukraine has every possibility under international law for what it is doing. That has to be said explicitly,” Scholz said. “I find it strange when some people argue that it should not be allowed to defend itself and take measures that are suitable for this.”

Top concerns at the EU defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Tuesday were centered around two issues: could Ukraine use donated weapons to strike back at Russia, and should Ukraine’s allies deploy troops to train Ukrainian recruits faster, as proposed by Macron, earlier this May.