Ukraine has achieved “much” in its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, but it is difficult to predict how the situation will evolve further, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday in Oslo.
“Only Ukrainians can make the tough decisions needed, such as where to move their forces and what type of warfare is appropriate in this situation,” Stoltenberg said.
Kiev claims to have taken control of more than 1,200 square kilometers of Russian territory following last month’s surprise incursion. This is the first time since World War II that an incursion has occurred on Russian soil.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have made significant advances in their efforts to capture the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
Stoltenberg said that Ukraine has the right to self-defense, including the use of long-range missiles capable of reaching targets within Russia.
“I am pleased that many NATO countries have provided that capability, while those that have not yet removed restrictions have eased them, so Ukraine can defend itself,” Stoltenberg added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to participate on Friday in a Ramstein Group meeting, a coalition of states supplying arms to Ukraine, where he is expected to request increased arms supplies, particularly long-range missiles, according to the German newspaper Spiegel.
Zelensky has pleaded with allies to help Kyiv with air defense and to lift restrictions that prevent him from using their long-range weapons for attacks inside Russia.
