Putin's threats to not affect EU's stance on Ukraine's use of Western weapons - spox
This was stated by EU spokesman Peter Stano, reports an Ukrinform correspondent in Brussels.
"Putin constantly makes misguiding comments... Nothing he says will change our position as long as he continues his illegal aggression against Ukraine. We will continue supporting Ukraine, including though military support," Stano emphasized.
The spokesman noted it was Putin who unleashed a war against Ukraine and thus launched an attack against all modern European democracies in the West.
"He’s not only attacking Ukraine, he’s attacking the values and principles we believe in. He’s attacking international law and the rules-based world, he’s violating the UN Charter. So he launched a war on all of us. And Ukraine is brave enough to fight in this war... and it is paying the highest price," said the EU spokesman.
He recalled that the discussion on the lifting of restrictions on the use of weapons provided to Ukraine by partners is ongoing. According to Stano, there is currently no common position on the issue in the EU. The countries that donate weapons to Ukraine shall themselves decide on the conditions under which they can be used. At the same time, the position of the EU high representative regarding the lifting of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western weapons against legitimate targets on the territory of Russia is very clear, as is the position of a number of member states in accordance with their decisions.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, Vladimir Putin said Thursday that any move by the West, which would allow Kyiv to use long-range weapons against targets on Russian soil, would imply that NATO and European countries are "at war" with Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said his country needs the US, UK, France, and Germany to allow using long-range weapons to hit military targets inside Russia.
