By Daphne Psaledakis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Ukraine should have the ability to use the arms it has been supplied without restrictions, stated Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, to Reuters on Thursday. He also expressed hope that Kyiv would be permitted to conduct strikes further into Russia with the weapons that Washington has announced it will deliver to Ukraine.
In an interview with Reuters, Landsbergis emphasized the necessity for Ukraine to use the provided weaponry freely to maximize its strategic position. He articulated that merely arming Ukraine is insufficient if Kyiv is restricted in its use of those arms.
“The strategic goal that puts Ukraine in the strongest possible position requires to allow them to use the weaponry freely,” Landsbergis stated.
Ukraine has consistently urged the United States and other Western allies to authorize long-range strikes to counter Russia’s persistent aerial assaults on Ukraine.
Russia, in contrast, has cautioned that allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range Western missiles would intensify what it describes as the direct involvement of the U.S. and Europe in the conflict, promising a corresponding response from Moscow.
On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced over $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine, a move Landsbergis described as “huge.” This package includes the initial delivery of the Joint Standoff Weapon, a precision-guided glide bomb with a range of up to 81 miles (130 km), which surpasses the range of currently supplied U.S. air-dropped glide bombs.
Landsbergis remarked, “I’m reading President Biden’s statement, and I’m seeing that there is a new type of rockets that are being delivered that are longer-range than the previous ones.” He added, “My hope is that it’s not a rocket that they should shoot from afar, from a distance to the front, that they would be allowed to use those rockets and shoot further out.”
A U.S. official indicated earlier that Biden would not announce that Washington would permit Ukraine to use U.S. missiles to target deeper within Russia.
Landsbergis mentioned that while the specifics of Kyiv’s “victory plan” to end the war have not been disclosed, there have been discussions with Ukrainians about the necessity of security guarantees.
Talks about including Ukraine in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) common defense area have resurfaced, and Landsbergis noted Lithuania’s strong support for this initiative, expressing satisfaction that it is back on the agenda.
“It has to happen,” Landsbergis asserted. “If you’re saying that, OK, we want Ukraine in a safe, secure position, without the risk that they will be attacked, you have to answer how. And, honestly, it’s not rocket science.”
During his visit to Washington on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated the importance of securing Ukraine’s future in NATO, a goal he has consistently pursued. However, allies have yet to fully commit to this step.
