Zelenskyy says US must allow Kyiv to hit targets inside Russia

Restrictions mean Ukraine cannot stop Russian attacks at their source

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a Nato press conference in Washington on Thursday. AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday asked the US to approve the use of long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia as it conducts daily attacks from launching points currently out of Kyiv's range.

Speaking at the end of this week's Nato summit in Washington, Mr Zelenskyy praised the alliance for its pledges of military support to Ukraine as it fights Russia, but said battlefield restrictions must be lifted if his country is to succeed.

“If we want to win, if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country and to defend it, we need to lift all the limitations,” Mr Zelenskyy said alongside Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Mr Zelenskyy's cabinet chief Andriy Yermak noted at a public forum that Russia had no restrictions on its use of weapons. He said it would be “a real game-changer” if Ukraine's allies could lift all limits on the use of weapons they supply to Ukraine.

President Joe Biden appeared unswayed by the appeal, suggesting long-range strike capabilities into Russia could lead to a sharp escalation of the conflict.

"If [Mr Zelenskyy] had the capacity to strike Moscow, strike the Kremlin, would that make sense? It wouldn't," Mr Biden told a highly anticipated news conference at the end of the summit.

"The question is, what's the best use of the weaponry he has?"

The summit, which marked Nato's 75th anniversary, saw member nations issue a declaration in support of Ukraine, promising additional aid and pledging to back its “irreversible path” to Nato membership.

US and European officials also announced that Ukraine's military will within weeks start flying American-made F-16 fighter jets that have been donated by the Danish and Dutch governments.

"At this summit, we are turning a corner and putting in place the foundations for Ukraine to prevail," Mr Stoltenberg said in a closing press conference.

"Allies have agreed to launch Nato security assistance and training for Ukraine with a command in the eastern part of the alliance and around 700 personnel."

Those key outcomes of the event were partly overshadowed by concerns over Mr Biden's physical and mental health and the growing likelihood that he will be ousted in November by Donald Trump, a Nato sceptic who has said he wants to see Ukraine make a deal with Russia.

Mr Biden met Mr Zelenskyy at the summit and announced an additional package of security assistance for Ukraine, which includes a Patriot air defence system, air defence interceptors, and artillery and Himars ammunition

Nato members have set different limits on how Ukraine can use the weapons they donate.

Some have made clear Kyiv can use them to strike targets deep inside Russia, but the US only allows its weapons to be used just inside the Russian border against sites supporting military operations in Ukraine.

Mr Stoltenberg said Ukraine should be able to hit inside Russia directly.

“Since Russia opened a new front … the only way to hit military targets, military launchers or airfields that attack Ukraine is to hit military targets in Russian territory,” he said.

The US and its allies have used this week's summit to try to project unity in the face of what they see as a rising threat to Europe from Russia and China.

A strongly worded communique on Wednesday from all 32 Nato members took aim at China over its support of Russia's war against Ukraine.

"China has become a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine through its no-limits partnership and support for Russia's defence industrial base, this includes the transfer of dual use materials such as weapon components, equipment and raw materials," Mr Stoltenberg told reporters.

However, Nato member Hungary said it does not want the alliance to become an “anti-China” bloc and will not support it becoming so.

China's Foreign Ministry said the declaration was biased and “sowing discord”, and its mission to the European Union described it as being “full of Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric and China-related content full of provocations, lies, incitement and smears”.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his country would increase defence spending to the Nato target of 2 per cent of gross domestic product by 2032 after US pressure to up its contribution to the alliance.

Canada is projected to spend a little more than over 1.3 per cent of GDP on defence this year, making it an outlier in the military alliance: 23 of 32 members are set to hit or exceed the 2 per cent target in 2024.