Jul 24, 2024 - World

Ukraine lobbies weapons suppliers to "lift all bans"

Colin Demarest

A person kneels and covers their ears as a mortar is fired nearby. The field they are in is brown and green. The sky overhead is blue and grey. — A mortar is fired along the front line in the Kharkiv region in 2022. Photo: Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images

A Ukrainian campaign to persuade its weapons benefactors to "lift all bans" on hitting military targets inside Russia is underway, the besieged country's defense minister told the Aspen Security Forum.

Why it matters: Domestic political plays and worries of reprisal abroad influence how and when the American arsenal is tapped for sales and security aid.

What they're saying: "To make sure they don't come to our borders, we wanted to use long-range missiles against the enemy," said Rustem Umerov, who beamed into last week's forum via video.

Russian air bases are of particular interest. Umerov sidestepped when asked about striking Moscow.
"We had some discussions with partners. Some made some announcements publicly," he added. "Some had discrete discussions. But we're continuing."

Friction point: Limits on how Western arms can be used have been hotly debated. Critics argue the restrictions leave Ukrainian troops and civilians open to attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described restrictions on donated arms as "crazy."
U.S.-made bombs have killed civilians in Gaza, drawing condemnation from watchdogs.

What's next: F-16 fighter jets are on the way to Ukraine, where they are expected to fly this summer.

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Ukraine lobbies weapons suppliers to "lift all bans"

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