France says Paris remains open to allowing Ukraine to use French long-range missiles to strike military targets inside Russia, after the United States cleared Kyiv to use American missiles for the same purpose.
Washington has lifted restrictions on Ukraine using long-range US missiles to strike inside Russia.
Its policy shift – long demanded by Ukraine – apparently came in response to Russia allowing North Korean troops to help Moscow's war effort, US officials have said.
On Monday, some European leaders expressed their support for the call.
Outgoing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said: "I've been saying once and again that Ukraine should be able to use the arms we provided to them, in order to not only stop the arrows but also to be able to hit the archers."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that French President Emmanuel Macron had already indicated in May that Paris was open to the idea of greenlighting the use of its missiles to strike on Russian soil.
"We openly said that this was an option that we would consider if it would allow the striking of targets from where Russia is currently aggressing Ukrainian territory. So nothing new on the other side," Barrot told reporters in Brussels on Monday.
Biden answers missile pleas from Ukraine as clock ticks down
Missiles 'will speak for themselves'
Washington's lifting of the missile ban has not been formally announced, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "the missiles will speak for themselves".
Zelensky has long pushed for authorisation from Washington to use the powerful Army Tactical Missile System, known by its initials ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia.
But US officials had previously worried about the danger of escalating the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, as well as the risk of depleting Washington's own stocks of the valuable munitions.
France and Britain have provided Ukraine with their long-range Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles, but have held back from authorising their use inside Russia without American approval for ATACMS.
Ukrainian soldiers get crash course in combat at French military base
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Joe Biden was "fuelling the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions," by allowing Kyiv to use US long-range weapons in Russia.
German drones
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Germany on Monday said that it was delivering 4,000 AI-guided drones to Ukraine, but remains opposed to sending Kyiv the long-range Taurus missile system.
Berlin has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters at an event in Bavaria that the drones being provided "were directed and supported by artificial intelligence" and that they could "take out the enemy's electronic drone defences".
The drones "can be delivered very quickly" and could be "deployed 30-40 kilometres behind the front line and hit combat posts, logistics hubs among other targets", Pistorius said.
Along some parts of the front line in Ukraine, such a distance would reach into Russian territory.
Berlin had announced in June its intention to deliver drones to Ukraine but had not given details on their specifications.
(with AFP)
