The foreign ministers of the military alliance are scheduled to meet in Prague to prepare an aid package for Ukraine ahead of NATO’s summit in July. This two-day meeting, beginning on Thursday in the Czech capital, aims to discuss the support package for Ukraine. However, the ongoing debate about whether Kyiv should be allowed to use Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia threatens to dominate the discussions.
Ukraine has been urging its supporters, particularly the United States, to permit the use of longer-range weaponry to target Russia. The US and Germany have resisted this, fearing it could escalate the conflict with Moscow.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly called for a reassessment of these restrictions, arguing they hinder Kyiv’s defense efforts. French President Emmanuel Macron has recently suggested that Ukraine should be able to "neutralize" bases in Russia used for launching strikes. Conversely, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has maintained a cautious stance, emphasizing legal constraints and noting that Germany has not provided weapons capable of striking Russia.
Moscow has responded strongly, with President Vladimir Putin warning of "serious consequences" if Western nations permit Ukraine to strike inside Russia.
Proponents of granting Ukraine more freedom hope Macron's stance will influence the US and other allies, particularly as Ukraine struggles against Russia's offensive in the Kharkiv region. A NATO diplomat noted that Macron's position might encourage allies to reconsider their stance.
While this debate unfolds, ministers in Prague are also focused on formulating a support package to satisfy Ukraine, whose aspirations for NATO membership remain distant. Despite Ukraine’s push at a previous summit, NATO countries, led by the US and Germany, have made it clear that Kyiv should not expect significant progress towards membership at the upcoming summit in Washington.
Instead, Stoltenberg aims to secure multi-year commitments from alliance members for future aid to Ukraine. He proposed a target of 100 billion euros ($108 billion) over five years, though this figure has not yet gained consensus among allies.
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