NATO military committee chair, others back Ukraine鈥檚 use of long range weapons to strike back at Russia

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  • 鈥淓very nation that is attacked has the right to defend itself," Admiral Rob Bauer said during a meeting of the committee
  • The comment came as some of Ukraine鈥檚 major donors continue to put waver on the issue

PRAGUE: The head of NATO鈥檚 military committee said Saturday that Ukraine has the solid legal and military right to strike deep inside Russia to gain combat advantage 鈥� reflecting the beliefs of a number of US allies 鈥� even as the Biden administration balks at allowing Kyiv to do so using American-made weapons.
鈥淓very nation that is attacked has the right to defend itself. And that right doesn鈥檛 stop at the border of your own nation,鈥� said Admiral Rob Bauer, speaking at the close of the committee鈥檚 annual meeting, also attended by US Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Bauer, of Netherlands, also added that nations have the sovereign right to put limits on the weapons they send to Ukraine. But, standing next to him at a press briefing, Lt. Gen. Karel 艠ehka, chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, made it clear his nation places no such weapons restrictions on Kyiv.
鈥淲e believe that the Ukrainians should decide themselves how to use it,鈥� 艠ehka said.
Their comments came as US President Joe Biden is weighing whether to allow Ukraine to use American-provided long-range weapons to hit deep into Russia. And they hint at the divisions over the issue.
Biden met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, after this week鈥檚 visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, who came under fresh pressure to loosen weapons restrictions. US officials familiar with discussions said they believed Starmer was seeking Biden鈥檚 approval to allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles for expanded strikes in Russia.




Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO's military committee, in Kyiv on March 21, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS)

Biden鈥檚 approval may be needed because Storm Shadow components are made in the US The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share the status of private conversations, said they believed Biden would be amenable, but there has been no decision announced yet.
Providing additional support and training for Ukraine was a key topic at the NATO chiefs鈥� meeting, but it wasn鈥檛 clear Saturday if the debate over the US restrictions was discussed.
Many of the European nations have been vigorously supportive of Ukraine in part because they worry about being the next victim of an empowered Russia.
At the opening of the meeting, Czech Republic President Petr Pavel broadly urged the military chiefs gathered in the room to be 鈥漛old and open in articulating your assessments and recommendations. The rounder and the softer they are, the less they will be understood by the political level.鈥�
The allies, he said, must 鈥渢ake the right steps and the right decisions to protect our countries and our way of life.鈥�
The military leaders routinely develop plans and recommendations that are then sent to the civilian NATO defense secretaries for discussion and then on to the nations鈥� leaders in the alliance.
The US allows Ukraine to use American-provided weapons in cross-border strikes to counter attacks by Russian forces. But it doesn鈥檛 allow Kyiv to fire long-range missiles, such as the ATACMS, deep into Russia. The US has argued that Ukraine has drones that can strike far and should use ATACMS judiciously because they only have a limited number.
Ukraine has increased its pleas with Washington to lift the restrictions, particularly as winter looms and Kyiv worries about Russian gains during the colder months.
鈥淵ou want to weaken the enemy that attacks you in order to not only fight the arrows that come your way, but also attack the archer that is, as we see, very often operating from Russia proper into Ukraine,鈥� said Bauer. 鈥淪o militarily, there鈥檚 a good reason to do that, to weaken the enemy, to weaken its logistic lines, fuel, ammunition that comes to the front. That is what you want to stop, if at all possible.鈥�
Brown, for his part, told reporters traveling with him to the meeting that the US policy on long-range weapons remains in place.
But, he added, 鈥渂y the same token, what we want to do is 鈥� regardless of that policy 鈥� we want to continue to make Ukraine successful with the capabilities that have been provided鈥� by the US and other nations in the coalition, as well as the weapons Kyiv has been able to build itself.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e proven themselves fairly effective in building out uncrewed aerial vehicles, in building out drones,鈥� Brown told reporters traveling with him to meetings in Europe.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has made similar points, arguing that one weapons system won鈥檛 determine success in the war.
鈥淭here are a number of things that go into the overall equation as to whether or not you know you want to provide one capability or another,鈥� Austin said Friday. 鈥淭here is no silver bullet when it comes to things like this.鈥�
He also noted that Ukraine has already been able to strike inside Russia with its own internally produced systems, including drones.