Politics

Danish PM says Ukraine should not be restricted in use of donated weapons

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images
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Denmark’s prime minister has said Ukraine must receive all the military support it needs with no restrictions imposed by donors on its use.

Speaking at the Globalsec security forum in Prague on Saturday, Mette Frederiksen said Denmark had given Ukraine weapons, including aircraft, with no caveats attached.

"We are not putting restrictions on F-16s,” European Pravda quoted her as saying. “It has to be according to international law. We have given these jets with no restrictions, then according to international law."

The Czech president also supported the use of F-16s being unrestricted with the Netherlands, another F-16 donor, also not opposed to the planes being able to strike within Russia, European Pravda reported.

Kyiv is currently permitted by donor countries to use some weaponry to strike targets inside Russia, but not long-range missiles among other restrictions.

Frediriksen also said Kyiv must receive all necessary hardware.

"You cannot win the war without military equipment,” she said. “The only way of winning this war is to give Ukraine what they need."

"There is no alternative to Ukraine winning this war,” she continued. “Because if Russia wins, then all of us lose not only in Europe but actually worldwide."

She also praised EU unity over the war, with an apparent but unstated criticism of Hungary.

“You have never had so strong [a] European Union as we have today… We have sometimes some internal discussions. But if it was like 12 [countries against 1], 15 [countries against 1] that would be a major problem for all of us. But it is 26 against one or one [country] against the rest of Europe."

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said his country had not attached limitations to the use of the weapons it had given Ukraine, but said the decision rested with individual donor states.
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