The NATO Secretary General called for the abolition of the ban on the use of Western weapons to strike targets in Russia.

Jens Stoltenberg said that the time has come for allies to consider this issue.

“The time has come for allies to consider whether they should lift some of the restrictions they have put on the use of weapons they have provided to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.

The Secretary General noted that this is important right now, when much of the fighting is taking place in Kharkiv, not far from the border.

“To deny Ukraine the possibility of using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very difficult to defend itself,” Stoltenberg added.

Stoltenberg said that the Russians would continue to push and continue to gain some marginal ground, and they were willing to pay a very high price for these marginal gains.

The Secretary General acknowledged the risk of escalation. According to him, the challenge is to “prevent this war from becoming a full-fledged war between Russia and NATO in Europe.”

However, he emphasized the difference between supplying weapons, training, and military action.

“We provide training, we provide weapons, ammunition to Ukraine, but we will not be directly involved from NATO territory in combat operations over or in Ukraine. So that’s a different thing,” Jens Stoltenberg said.

He also commented on the proposal to deploy troops in Ukraine if its government requests it, an idea advocated by French President Emmanuel Macron.

“We have no intention to send NATO ground troops to Ukraine, because our goal… was twofold: to support Ukraine as we do, but also to ensure that we don’t escalate this into a full scale conflict,” Stoltenberg added.

As previously reported, a group of U.S. congressmen called for Ukraine to be allowed to use U.S. weapons to strike Russian soil.