Jens Stoltenberg: Ukrainian military incursion into Russia is in accordance with international law

– Soldiers, tanks and military bases Russia are legitimate goals under international law, he said in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper Jens Stoltenberg. – Ukraine has the right to defend itself and, according to international law, this right does not end at (its – ed.) border – he added.

Stoltenberg also said that NATO was not warned by the Ukrainian side about its plans for an offensive in Kursk Oblast and played no role in them. He announced that the Alliance would continue to support Ukraine by providing it with weapons and equipment necessary to repel Russian aggression.

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The outgoing NATO Secretary General (Stoltenberg's term will expire in October, his successor was Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte) – as reported by the AFP agency – welcomed “Germany's clear commitment to remain the leading donor of military aid to Ukraine in Europe and the second largest in the world”. She recalled that last week the government in Berlin faced sharp criticism over the planned reduction of military aid to Kiev in 2025.

According to the NATO chief, Ukraine took a risk by entering Russian territory, but it is up to it how it will conduct this military operation.

– President (Volodymyr of Ukraine – ed.) Zelensky clearly stated that the operation aims to create a buffer zone that will prevent further Russian attacks. Like all military operations, this one also involves risks. But it is Ukraine that decides how to defend itself – Stoltenberg emphasized in the German newspaper.

The Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region of Russia, which borders Ukraine, has been ongoing since August 6. After three weeks of fighting, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky reported that the area occupied by Ukrainians in the border region had expanded to 1,294 square kilometers, and the number of controlled localities had increased to 100.