The 31 NATO foreign ministers met in Prague on Thursday and Friday to discuss in particular aid to Ukraine. At the end of these two days of discussions, the allies can boast of clear progress, both in their financial support and in the use of the weapons supplied to Ukraine to directly strike Russian territory, with a clear blow inch.
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With our correspondent in Brussels, Pierre Benazet
The main advance for NATO foreign ministers is the confirmation by their American counterpart Antony Blinken that American weapons can be used against Russian territory facing the Kharkiv region. This is the door open to lifting the restrictions that some Europeans still impose on the use of weapons delivered to Ukraine, Germany for example.
For NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Russia will not be able to dissuade the allies from supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary.
“ President Putin has threatened NATO allies since the start of the war, again and again. In fact, the day before the invasion, he gave a speech in which we threatened any ally who supported Ukraine. He tried to prevent us from providing military support. He then tried to prevent us from providing armored vehicles, advanced missile systems, fighter jets. We have evolved and strengthened our support, because we firmly believe that Ukraine has the right to self-defense. Self-defense is a fundamental right, enshrined in the United Nations Charter “, said Jens Stoltenberg.
And to anchor military support for Ukraine over the long term, Jens Stoltenberg asks the allies to maintain a sum of 40 billion euros annually from NATO countries.
Read alsoUS allows Ukraine to use its weapons to strike targets in Russia