Danish Foreign Minister: Ukrainian military can use Danish weapons in Russia

Denmark's foreign minister said that Ukrainian forces can use Danish-supplied weapons on Russian territory, citing the rules of war.

Aug 20, 2024 - 05:25
Danish Foreign Minister: Ukrainian military can use Danish weapons in Russia

Denmarks-foreign-minister

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) may use Danish-supplied weapons on Russian territory during an offensive in the Kursk Oblast.

This stance aligns with a previous joint declaration by Denmark and Norway and echoes similar sentiments expressed by German Finance Minister Christian Lindner. These statements from European officials suggest a growing acceptance among some NATO allies of Ukraine’s potential use of Western-supplied weapons for strikes within Russian borders.

Rasmussen said that Denmark’s support for Ukraine remains unchanged. “Defending oneself may well include invading the aggressor’s territory. If you attack the attacker’s infrastructure or military facilities as part of this, entirely within the rules of war,” the minister said.

He further clarified that the use of Danish weapons on Russian soil is also within these rules. “You cannot set a restriction that weapons can only be used on Ukrainian territory,” Rasmussen explained.

This statement follows a joint declaration by Denmark and Norway in May, expressing no objection to strikes on Russian territory using weapons provided as part of their military aid to Ukraine.

In a related development, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner commented on the UAF’s Kursk operation and the use of Western weapons on Russian territory. He said that all German weapons were transferred under Ukraine’s responsibility, “defending itself against an aggressor and exercising its right to self-defense.”

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