Macron supports Ukraine striking military bases in Russia
French President Emmanuel Macron has voiced support for allowing Ukraine to strike military bases on Russian territory using Western weapons during a joint briefing with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
"We must allow them to neutralize military bases from which missiles are launched," Macron said. He stressed that the missile attacks on Ukraine were launched from Russian territory.
The French leader clarified that Ukraine should not target civilian facilities or other military objects in Russia.
"If you tell them, 'You are not allowed to reach the point from which missiles are launched,' you are effectively saying, 'We will give you weapons, but you are not allowed to defend yourself,'" Macron said.
He stressed that France was only helping to defend Ukrainian territory within the existing framework and did not want to escalate the conflict.
Scholz, for his part, stated that Ukraine "has all the capabilities under international law to do what it is doing," and that Western countries providing weapons "have set out all the rules for their use based on international law."
