Following the United States, Germany allowed Kiev to hit Russia with German weapons

The German government has given permission to Ukraine to use weapons supplied to it by Germany to strike targets on Russian territory, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on May 31.

"Together with our closest allies and in close dialogue with the Ukrainian government, we are constantly adjusting our support in accordance with the development of military operations," he said. According to Hebestreit, in recent weeks Ukraine has been attacked, in particular, in the Kharkiv region, which were "prepared, coordinated and carried out" from positions directly adjacent to the Russian border. "Together we are convinced that Ukraine has the right, in accordance with international law, to defend itself against these attacks," he stressed.

Germany, which ranks second after the United States in terms of military assistance to Ukraine, has supplied the country with a large amount of military equipment, including heavy artillery and rocket launchers. However, Berlin has so far refused to allow Kiev to use German weapons to strike Russian targets, fearing an escalation of the conflict.

Speaking in Prague on Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the US decision to agree to the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory. He stressed that "Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and this includes the right to attack legitimate military installations on Russian territory."