Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has firmly stated that Ukraine should be allowed to conduct long-range strikes inside Russian territory, despite threats from Moscow.
This stance comes in the wake of Ukrainian forces occupying parts of Russian territory for the first time since World War II, and Ukrainian officialls asking Western partners to remove restrictions on the use of Western long-range weapons so that Ukraine can degrade Russia’s logistics and airfields in the rear and bring the war to an end faster.
“Canada fully supports Ukraine using long-range weaponry to prevent and interdict Russia’s continued ability to degrade Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure, and mostly to kill innocent civilians in their unjust war,” Trudeau declared at a news conference in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec.
The Prime Minister’s comments directly challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent warnings that NATO would be entering into war if it allows Ukraine to use donated weapons for long-range strikes within Russia. Trudeau emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s victory in this war, arguing that failure to push back against Russia’s aggression could encourage other large nations to attempt absorbing their neighbors.
Trudeau also placed the responsibility for the war squarely on Putin’s shoulders, stating,
“It was his choice to invade a neighboring, sovereign nation, his choice to start this conflict and it can be his choice to end it tomorrow. All he has to do is to pull back his troops into Russian territory. … But he won’t do this. He is trying to deeply destabilize the international order that protects us all.”
This development follows the United States’ decision in May to allow Ukraine to use American weaponry for strikes inside Russia, albeit limited to targets near the border that pose a threat to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
As the situation continues to evolve, several media reports said the UK and US were about to allow Ukraine use their Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory.
Related:
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- EU responds to Putin’s threats about direct involvement in war
- Russian Central Bank raises key rate to 19% as inflation surges
- Polish FM visits Lviv, urges faster aid to Ukraine
