On Monday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) approved a declaration stating that Ukraine can attack military targets in Russia using the weaponry provided by supporting countries.
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The text received the backing of 47 out of 56 countries or institutions that are part of the assembly, which serves as a link between NATO and the parliaments of member countries, according to Bulgarian public radio from Sofia, where the Assembly concludes today.
The Assembly also includes delegates from associated parliaments or observers from other nations or institutions such as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Several NATO countries that have sent weaponry to Ukraine have stipulated that this material not be used to attack military positions on Russian soil.
On Monday, however, NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg asserted that it is time to lift this restriction and argued that attacking military targets on Russian soil is a form of legitimate self-defense. Otherwise, he argued, Ukraine has its "hands tied."
"Allies must decide on the restrictions on the use of weapons against legitimate military targets across the border, this is not a matter for NATO. Even now, some members have restrictions and others do not," Stoltenberg emphasized during a press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev.
"Ukraine has the right to defend itself. We, as allies, have the right to help Ukraine do so. However, this does not mean that NATO is part of the conflict," said Stoltenberg, insisting that the Alliance has no plans to send troops to Ukraine, deploy capabilities in Ukrainian airspace, or train troops on Ukrainian soil.
Additionally, he stated, NATO's main goal is to ensure that the conflict does not extend beyond Ukraine or turn into a confrontation between NATO and Russia.