Nato chief says Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate

The head of the military alliance defended Ukraine’s move into Russia’s Kursk region, but warned the operation came with risks

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Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (right) defended Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in a recent media interview. File photo: Reuters

Published: 3:11pm, 31 Aug 2024

Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate and covered by Kyiv’s right to self-defence, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told German weekly Welt am Sonntag in his first reaction to the advance into Russian territory.

“Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border,” Stoltenberg told the paper, adding Nato had not been informed about Ukraine’s plans beforehand and did not play a role in them.

The Nato chief said Ukraine was running a risk with the advance onto Russian territory but that it was up to Kyiv how to conduct its military campaign.

“(Ukrainian) President Volodymyr Zelensky has made clear that the operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks from across the border,” he said.

“Like all military operations, this comes with risks. But it is Ukraine’s decision how to defend itself.”

Despite Kyiv’s offensive in the Kursk region, Moscow has continued to make small but steady gains in eastern Ukraine with authorities acknowledging the increasing challenges of Russian operations in Donetsk. Photo: Reuters

Kyiv launched a major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region on August 6, while Moscow’s troops keep pressing towards the strategic hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.