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EU defense ministers reach no agreement on lifting restrictions on strikes inside Russia

According to Josep Borrell, he personally supports the idea of lifting these restrictions, because, in his view, this is the way for Ukraine to defend itself in accordance with international law

BRUSSELS, August 30. /TASS/. The defense ministers of 27 European Union countries haven't reached an agreement on lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-donated weapons for strikes inside Russia, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said.

"The member states have decided that this is something that belongs to the bilateral decisions of each member state providing equipment to Ukraine," he pointed out at a press conference following an informal meeting of the EU defense ministers in Brussels.

"There was a strategic discussion about it but this remains a national policy [matter] and member states want it to be a national decision on bilateral relations with Ukraine," Borrell added.

According to the top EU diplomat, he personally supports the idea of lifting these restrictions, because, in his view, this is the way for Ukraine to defend itself in accordance with international law.

On August 29, Borrell called on European Union nations to provide Kiev with more air defense systems and lift all restrictions on the use of Western weapons for strikes inside Russia. However, he admitted that it wouldn’t be easy to send new air defense systems to Ukraine without delays.

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