Kyiv should be allowed to “neutralise” military bases inside Russia that are being used to attack Ukraine, French and German leaders said.
French president Emmanuel Macron said at a joint news conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Meseberg, Germany, that “we don’t want escalation” but Ukraine could attack “military sites from which missiles are fired”.
Mr Olaf said he agreed as long as Ukraine respected the conditions of the weapons’ suppliers.“Ukraine has every possibility under international law for what it is doing. That has to be said explicitly,” Mr Scholz said.
The remarks came as Belgium pledged to send more than two dozen F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of a near €1bn (£832m) military package.
The package was announced as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels for discussions with prime minister Alexander De Croo.
Ukraine is under increasing pressure as Russian troops are reportedly gathering on the Ukrainian border in preparation for fresh offensive operations.
The think tank Institue for the Study of War said this concentration of forces is likely to be used to draw Ukrainian troops into the area and prepare to expand the Russian foothold in the northeastern border area of Kharkiv.