Kiev may use Patriot missiles on aircraft in Russian space: Official
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Berlin, along with other Western nations, agreed on Friday that Kiev could use Western weapons to repel attacks in the Kharkiv region.
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A Ukrainian soldier is standing in front of a Marder infantry fighting vehicle at the German forces Bundeswehr training area in Munster, Germany, on Feb. 20, 2023 (AP)
The head of the German Defense Ministry's special staff for Ukraine, Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding, on Sunday, said that he did not rule out the possibility of Kiev using Patriot missile systems to target Russian aviation over Russian territory.
"It is quite possible that Patriot systems will now also be used in the Kharkiv region and over Russia ... They can be applied within the international law. We have great confidence that Ukrainians ... will comply with it," Freuding told German broadcaster ARD.
This follows a recent decision from the United States to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of US-supplied weapons against targets in Russian territory, though officials claim that Biden made the move "only to defend the under-fire" Kharkov region against Russian forces.
The State Department clarified that the US has not authorized the use of long-range missiles, including ATACMS, inside Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also been a strong advocate of this initiative.
On Friday, German Federal Government Spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit mentioned that Berlin, along with other Western nations, agreed that Kiev could use Western weapons to repel attacks in the Kharkiv region.
Read more: NATO air defense capacity needed to protect eastern flank stands at 5%
Will Ukraine striking Russia lead to nuclear war?
Veteran Defense Department analyst Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik on Sunday that the decision to allow Ukraine to attack Russian soil using US-supplied weapons exposes the deep political confusion and disarray within the United States.
"This decision is a continued sign of political disarray in Washington and within NATO leadership. The Biden administration is praying that Ukraine can continue some kind of resistance until early November," Kwiatkowski said in reference to the upcoming US election.
The decision clearly reflects that Biden is concerned Ukraine would have totally collapsed by the time the elections take place, Kwiatkowski said, and the Democrat would have nothing to show for the hundreds of billions of dollars he spent on Ukraine, so he is desperately willing to use any means possible to keep Ukraine standing until then, even if it meant risking a nuclear war with Russia.
Read more: Ukraine attacking Russia to lead to expanded buffer zone, US vet says
