NATO on Monday called on its member states to authorise Ukraine to use Western weapons against military targets in Russia during a spring session in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly (PA) adopted a corresponding declaration vowing support for Ukraine until victory is achieved. 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the time has come to lift some restrictions on using the weapons provided. 

Ms Stoltenberg cited the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, where the front line and the border with Russia more or less coincided, as an example of the possible use of Western weapons. 

Ukraine would be weaker if NATO members continued to support it only halfway, warned the president of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly, Michał Szczerba, from Poland.

In a video message, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov appealed for the allies to close the airspace over western Ukraine with their air defence systems. 

Mr Umerov reiterated that his country was striving for full NATO membership. 

Parliamentarians from NATO member countries and partner states participated in the PA spring meeting. 

A delegation from the German Bundestag also travelled to Sofia. 

Ms Stoltenberg named three topics for the upcoming NATO summit in Washington in July. 

“The topics are improving the defence capabilities of member states, support for Ukraine, and global partnerships with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.” 

The Parliamentary Assembly also called for the creation of a centre at NATO headquarters in Brussels to combat disinformation. 

(dpa/NAN)