US needs to lift limits on striking military targets in Russia: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy embraced the support Thursday of allies who in the past two days have provided substantial new aid and a path to joining NATO even as he emphatically pushed for the help to arrive faster and for restrictions to be lifted on the use of US weapons to attack military targets inside RussiaIf we want to win if we want to prevail if we want to save our country and to defend it we need to lift all the limitations Zelenskyy said while appearing alongside NATO SecretaryGeneral Jens Stoltenberg in the final hours of a summit that saw Ukraine receive fresh commitments of military aid to firm up its defense against RussiaEarlier in the day President Joe Biden reaffirmed his support for Ukraine announcing a new military aid package and pledging to Zelenskyy We will stay with you period Though Zelenskyy offered public thanks for the package and for a promise by NATO leaders that Ukraine is now on an irreversible path to membership he also sounded an alarm that Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia now in its third year unless the US lifts limits on the use of its weapons to attack military targets in RussiaThe Biden administration currently allows Ukraine to fire weapons into Russian territory only for the purpose of hitting back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them concerned that the broader use of Americanmade weaponry could provoke Russia to widen the war But Zelenskyy has been pressing for greater latitude so that US weapons could be used to hit critical military bases and installations deeper in Russian territoryStoltenberg for his part argued in support of Ukraines call to be allowed to strike more military targets inside Russia saying that was Ukraines right of selfdefense He said the war had changed since the early days when the fighting was deeper into Ukrainian territory Since Russia opened a new front the only way to hit military targets military launchers or airfields that attack Ukraine is to hit military targets in Russian territory he saidThe summit has been shadowed by concerns about growing Chinese and North Korean support for Russias invasion It also has unfolded during a tumultuous American political cycle with mounting angst among Democrats about Bidens ability to serve another four years Later Thursday all eyes will be on Biden as he closes out the summit of 32 NATO leaders in Washington with a news conference It will provide a fresh chance for him to prove to the American public that hes capable of serving another term after his shocking debate flop threw the future of his presidency into doubtJoined by Zelenskyy at an event earlier in the day Biden touted the package as his eighth since taking office with this latest one consisting of USD 225 million of support including an additional Patriot missile system to bolster Ukraines air defences against a deadly onslaught of Russian airstrikes The Patriot air defence system the second the US has provided to Ukraine is one of several Biden announced this week at the NATO summit and is part of a swell of pledges to get weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian attacks including one this week that hit a childrens hospital in KyivThe flurry of final events at the NATO summit come a day after NATO labelled China a decisive enabler of Russias war against Ukraine China in turn accused NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and it has warned the military alliance not to bring the same chaos to Asia We appreciate the close partnership with your country and not least because our security is not regional it is global NATO SecretaryGeneral Jens Stoltenberg said as he welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for the last day of the alliances summit in Washington This is clearly illustrated by the war in Ukraine Stoltenberg addedStoltenberg convened NATO leaders in the military alliances main decisionmaking body saying they would tackle shared security challenges including Russias war against Ukraine Chinas support for Russias war economy and the growing alignment of authoritarian powers He said allies must work ever closer to preserve peace European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell who is also taking part in the talks said it was important to draw all partners into a conversation on how to ensure stability notably as China strengthens its ties with Russia but also in the AsiaPacific regionChina is supporting Russia in the name of this unlimited friendship North Korea is one of the most important suppliers of raw material to Russia he told reporters He noted that maritime border tensions in the IndoPacific puts a threat to the stability of the whole region Australia New Zealand Japan and South Korea are notably taking part in the summit Zelenskyy joined allied leaders later for a meeting of the NATOUkraine Council a forum set up a year ago for the 32 allies and Kyiv to meet on an equal footing to share concerns and informationOn Wednesday NATO leaders promised Ukraine that it is on an irreversible path to membership although it can only join sometime after the war when the allies agree that it has met all the conditions A missile attack on Ukraines biggest childrens hospital on the eve of the summit in Washington to mark NATOs 75th anniversary underscored that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be ready to make peace for some timeMany allies also offered more military support and NATO launched a new program to underwrite deliveries of military equipment and coordinate training for Ukraines beleaguered armed forces NATO members also committed to keep up current levels of military aid about 40 billion euros USD435 billion annually for at least a yearThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the 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