Ukraine has "legitimate" right to defend itself against Russian attacks under international law, Germany says

Under international law Ukraine has a "legitimate" right to defend itself against Russian attacks, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.

Under international law Ukraine has a "legitimate" right to defend itself against Russian attacks, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said.

His comments come in reference to Tuesday’s drone attacks that took place in Moscow that injured two people and damaged several buildings, according to Russian state media. Ukraine has denied any involvement.

The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call on Tuesday (May 30), Hebestreit added. “The air defense worked well there and reacted well, but there was also damage, he said at a news conference in Berlin.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also acknowledged Tuesday Ukraine has the right to “project force” beyond its own borders for self-defense. “Legitimate military targets beyond its own border are part of Ukraine’s self-defense. And we should recognise that,” he had said.

What the US says: Earlier Wednesday, John Kirby, the White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, reiterated that the Biden administration has “been clear, privately and publicly, with the Ukrainians that we don't support attacks on Russian soil."