NATO Chief Threatens Response to Russian 'Mainland Strikes' "Same Old Talk"

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), downplayed Russia's threat on the 31st (local time) to respond if Ukraine strikes Russian territory with Western weapons, calling it "nothing new."

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), held a foreign ministers' meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on November 28 last year (local time). NATO foreign ministers discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East during this meeting.
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

On the same day, at the second day of the informal NATO foreign ministers' meeting held in Prague, Czech Republic, Secretary General Stoltenberg responded to related questions from reporters by saying, "President Putin has tried to threaten us every time NATO allies support Ukraine."

He added, "This is part of an effort to prevent NATO allies from helping Ukraine defend itself."

Stoltenberg explained, "(Some) allies have acknowledged for years, or since the outbreak of this war in 2022, that their weapons could be used to strike legitimate targets inside Russia."

He cited the example, "The United Kingdom has long provided 'Storm Shadow' cruise missiles to Ukraine without any restrictions."

Earlier, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned at a briefing the previous day that if Ukraine attacks Russian civilian facilities with Western weapons, the Russian military would respond with 'proportional retaliation.'

On the 31st, Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma, stated that if Russian territory is attacked with American weapons, Russia would carry out 'asymmetric retaliation.'

Stoltenberg emphasized again, saying, "It is never reasonable to assume that Ukraine should not counterattack against Russian attacks," and "Ukraine must be able to strike shells and missiles launched from within Russia to defend its territory."

Regarding reports that the United States has shifted its stance to partially allow Ukraine to attack Russian territory, he said, "Ukraine has the right to self-defense, which includes the right to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia."

Considering that there has been no official announcement from the U.S. government yet, this was a cautious expression of welcome.

Political media outlets Politico and the Associated Press, citing multiple officials the previous day, reported that President Joe Biden recently authorized the use of U.S. weapons to counterattack inside Russian territory solely for the purpose of defending Kharkiv, Ukraine, which has been under intense Russian attacks.