Each country should decide if Ukraine can use its long-range missiles on Russia: NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been pleading with allies for months to let Ukraine fire Western missiles including long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadows deep into Russia to limit Moscow’s ability to launch attacks.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden held talks in Washington on Friday on whether to allow Kyiv to use the long-range missiles against targets in Russia. No decision was announced.

“I welcome these developments and these decisions but its for individual allies to make the final decisions,” Stoltenberg told LBC radio.

“Allies have different policies on this.”

Some US officials are deeply skeptical that allowing the use of such missiles would make a significant difference in Kyiv’s battle against Russian invaders.

President Vladimir Putin has stressed the West would be directly fighting Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike with Western-made long-range missiles.

Asked about possible Russian retaliation, Stoltenberg said there were “no risk-free options in the war”.

“But I continue to believe that the biggest risk for us, for United Kingdom, for NATO, will be if President Putin wins in Ukraine,” he added.

In an interview with Foreign Policy, livestreamed on its website, Stoltenberg said NATO will not become a party to the Ukrainian conflict if its member states authorize Kiev to strike at Russian territory with Western-made weapons.

“This is not correct when President Putin says that we will become party to the conflict,” Stoltenberg claimed.

He also added that NATO does not consider Iran and North Korea parties to the conflict over the alleged military aid to Moscow.

According to the Secretary General, NATO closely monitors what Russia is doing in its nuclear posture.

“So far, we haven’t seen any changes in their nuclear posture that require any changes from our side,” he continued, pointing out that there will be no winners in a nuclear war.

NATO allies have not yet reached a consensus on inviting Ukraine to the alliance, Stoltenberg added

“There can be no invitation for Ukraine until we have all allies agreeing. It requires consensus, and we don’t have that yet,” he said.

“In the long run, there can be no peace and security in Ukraine without Ukraine becoming a NATO ally.”

“If you want a quick end to this war <…> then military support for Ukraine is the way,” the official went on to say.