Ukraine can use Finnish-provided weapons in Russia - president

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, commenting on the advance of Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, has said that Ukraine has every right to defend itself and can use the weapons provided by Finland on Russian soil.

He said this during a visit to the Aland Islands, Ukrinform reports, citing Yle.

According to Stubb, Ukraine has every right to defend itself by advancing to the Kursk region, as Russia regularly bombs Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and has seized large areas of Ukraine.

"We see no reason to limit the activities of Ukrainians. [...] We have no restrictions whatsoever on what kind of weapons and in what way Ukraine can use them. The starting point for everything is that Ukraine has a full right to defend itself within the framework of international law," Stubb said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed on August 12 that Ukrainian forces were conducting an offensive operation in the Kursk Region.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on August 13 that 74 settlements of the Kursk region were under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that the purpose of the operation in the Kursk region was not to seize foreign territories, but to preserve the lives of citizens and protect Ukrainian territory from Russian attacks.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region was a defensive operation.

The White House advised Vladimir Putin to withdraw his troops from Ukraine if he was worried about the situation in the Kursk region.

Photo: Ritzau Scanpix / Niels Christian Vilmann