In a significant development, the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag has confirmed that Ukraine’s use of German-supplied weapons, including armored vehicles, in Russia’s Kursk region is legally justified, News.Az reports, citing UAWire.
Markus Faber, Chairman of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee, stressed that the use of German weapons by Ukraine in operations in the Kursk area was completely legal. According to a BILD report, Faber explained that German weapons would effectively become Ukrainian property as soon as they were handed over to Ukraine. This also included combat vehicles such as Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard 2 tanks.
Prior to Faber’s comments, some analysts and commentators had claimed that Ukraine had not asked Germany for permission to use German weapons on Russian soil. However, the position of the chairman of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee was reiterated by a spokesman for the German Defense Ministry. In response to questions from journalists, the spokesman clarified that the German government supports Ukraine’s defensive struggle against Russian aggression. It was also noted that Chancellor Olaf Scholz had publicly authorized the use of German weapons on Russian territory bordering Ukraine, in particular in the event of an attack by Russian forces on Kharkiv.
Experts studying Ukraine’s deployment of German weapons in the Kursk region believe that although Moscow may perceive this as a provocation, it is unlikely to take retaliatory measures against Germany. Moreover, even through US communication channels, Berlin is unlikely to demand explanations from Ukraine or file complaints about the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces.
An international relations expert and adviser to a leading German political group noted that the territory of the aggressor state constitutes a war zone and attacks on military targets are therefore legitimate under international law.
As the German government has already reported, Germany has ordered 20 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles from Rheinmetall for Ukraine. The order, worth several tens of millions of euros, was placed in March.
News.Az
