The head of NATO’s Military Committee stated that the decision on whether Ukraine should be allowed to strike deep within Russia with Western long-range weapons is “a political decision,” but from a military standpoint, it would be within Ukraine’s legal rights.
Admiral Rob Bauer said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on September 14 that removing the restriction is not an issue NATO is discussing. However, in his view as a military leader, the answer would be yes.
“Under the UN Charter and the law of armed conflict, if you are attacked by a state, you have the right to defend yourself,” Bauer said. “This defense does not stop at your borders. You are allowed to strike the enemy on their territory.”
Bauer spoke to RFE/RL as NATO’s Military Committee—the alliance’s highest military authority—met in Prague for a two-day conference to discuss strategic developments within the alliance following decisions made during the NATO summit in July.
The meeting took place a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss whether to approve Kyiv’s request to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia.
Bauer stated that the threats expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and former President Dmitry Medvedev in response to these discussions reflect their dissatisfaction with how the war is progressing, two and a half years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“I think it is a sign of how unhappy they are because Russia has not achieved any of its strategic goals in Ukraine,” Bauer said.
Earlier in the week, Putin said that the West would be “at war” with Russia if it allows Ukraine to attack with long-range Western-made missiles, while Medvedev said on September 14 that Russia could destroy the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with non-nuclear weapons if the West removes its restrictions.
Medvedev, who now serves as the head of Ukraine’s Security Council, also mentioned that Russia could use nuclear weapons.
Bauer noted that these threats should be taken seriously, but what NATO and Ukraine’s other allies are doing “is within the UN Charter, within international law. And we will continue to operate this way.”
In his speech during the conference, Bauer praised the Ukrainian military, saying it has shown the world that “there is nothing you cannot do.” He stated that Ukraine’s military needs to be supported by its allies to achieve its goals.
“They will have that support, not just now, not just during the war, but also in the decades to come,” Bauer said during the conference in Prague.
NATO allies, led by the United States, have provided billions of dollars in military equipment to help Ukraine wage its war, and Bauer said that Ukraine’s forces are growing and becoming “increasingly interoperable” with NATO forces, bringing the country closer to NATO membership.
“One day, we will sit together under the NATO banner,” he said. “Ukraine deserves our support, not only for what we stand for as people, but also as NATO.”
Bauer also stated that NATO needs greater production capacity in the defense industry and must improve coordination to increase deterrence.
Lieutenant General Karel Rehka, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, also spoke about the war in Ukraine. He said that this war is a matter of survival for Ukraine and a fight for the principles of democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, principles that NATO exists to defend.
“It is crucial that we—who lead our armies—provide all the necessary assistance to Ukraine, whether in the form of training or supplies of weapons and other military equipment,” Rehka said during the conference. “By supporting Ukraine, we are also strengthening our unity and keeping the Russian threat in check.”
Bauer and Rehka agreed that there is a need for greater defense spending. Rehka said that “it is clear that 2% of GDP for defense spending is not enough.”
Rehka also warned that threats from Russia do not only come through conventional battlefield means but also through hybrid tactics, cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns, and kinetic acts of violence.
“All of these actions are designed to sow fear and undermine the unity of our societies. We must take a broad approach… that integrates our conventional military capabilities with strong cyber defense and robust civil-military cooperation.”
