Comment on furgehir.hu
On May 10, Russian occupation troops crossed the state border of Ukraine and began hostilities in the northern part of the Kharkiv region, where fierce fighting is taking place. The Kremlin is deploying significant offensive forces regardless of its own losses. For example, in just one day on May 13, about two thousand Russian servicemen died, and since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, the number of human losses of the aggressor country is approaching half a million.
According to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the offensive in the Kharkiv region is a consequence of Ukraine's ban on using Western weapons on Russian territory. But international partners are already beginning to realize the fallacy of such a ban. Thus, at the beginning of May 2024, the heads of the foreign policy departments of two countries at the same time - Great Britain and the Republic of Latvia - declared that their governments not only provided the Ukrainian armed forces with new batches of weapons, but also gave in-principle consent to the use of these weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation. In addition, as the head of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs admitted, similar permission for Ukraine to strike with Western-made weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation was given to several other Western countries, whose governments refrained from making this fact public. “The use of long-range weapons for Ukraine is permitted by international law. If there are sites from which Russia attacks Ukraine, you have the right to retaliate”, Latvian Foreign Minister Barba Bradze said.
Of course, the armed forces of Ukraine will not repeat the criminal actions of the Kremlin aggressor, who regularly fire on the civilian population, wipe out peaceful Ukrainian cities and destroy civilian infrastructure. The Ukrainians need permission to strike Russian territory solely to defend their country and restore their territory within the 1991 borders. And for that, it is necessary to neutralize Russian military airfields, missile launchers, drone launch sites, warehouses for ammunition and fuel and other military facilities located in the border regions of the Russian Federation.
Russian occupation forces attack Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region daily with guided bombs, drones and other weapons. Putin actually wants to turn the million-strong city into a “grey zone”, uninhabitable. Kharkiv region is one of the regions of Ukraine most affected by Russian aggression. In the past few days, more than 6 thousand civilians have already been evacuated in the Kharkiv region. The Ukrainian authorities are providing humanitarian, medical, psychological and legal assistance to the evacuees. However, this evacuation is very difficult, as mostly elderly and disabled people remain in the settlements.
The international community, of course, does not stand aside either. Thus, according to the edition "Die Welt", EU ambassadors have already agreed on a document describing security guarantees for Ukraine, with which they have promised to provide various assistance, receive displaced persons, support reforms and the restoration of Ukraine, to apply sanctions and provide diplomatic support, delivery of lethal and non-lethal weapons, as well as convening consultations in the event of further aggression by the Russian Federation.
Ukraine cannot wait. The Russian aggressor is not stopping for a minute, so there should be no delay in the supply of weapons and air defense/missile defense systems from Ukraine's allies. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the delay in aid to Ukraine was already having consequences, given the situation in the Kharkiv region. However, the armed forces of Ukraine are able to effectively hold positions in the eastern part of the country. “We are doing everything we can to expedite the provision of this assistance. Europeans do the same“, said Blinken.
Ukraine's partners must be consistent in their commitment to the country and demonstrate a strong determination to support it in its ongoing struggle for freedom and sovereignty. Pressure on the Kremlin must be constant and comprehensive to systematically weaken it – it is in the interest of the civilized world. Aid to Ukraine must continue and be sufficient for the victory over the aggressor.