Italy reiterates ban on using its weapons for attacks on Russian territory

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has underscored that Ukraine must not use Italian-supplied weapons to target Russian territory.

Speaking on the sidelines of the EU Council of Ministers, Tajani reiterated Italy's stance regarding the military aid provided to Ukraine, emphasizing that Italy is "not at war with Moscow", Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

"We have sent primarily defensive weapons and are now preparing to send a new Samp-T battery, which is defensive and cannot be used on Russian soil. We maintain that we are not at war with Russia, and neither is NATO. Therefore, Italy's position remains unchanged — our weapons are to be used strictly within Ukrainian territory," Tajani stated.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that the UK supports the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine against Russian targets but refrains from publicly advocating this to avoid straining relations with the United States.

There have also been unconfirmed reports that Ukraine plans to present the White House with a list of potential targets in Russia for ATACMS missiles in an effort to persuade President Biden.

Additionally, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has noted that Kyiv is in ongoing consultations with its allies about the possibility of establishing an "air defence shield" over western Ukraine.