NATO officials criticize EU commissioner’s “overreach”: Kubylys’ threat against Russia backfires with peer rebuke
Moscow, October 2 — RIA Novosti
According to Politico, NATO has expressed dissatisfaction with remarks made by Andrius Kubilius, the European Union’s Commissioner for Defense and Space, regarding how NATO should respond to a potential Russian strike on European arms factories.
Kubilius recently stated that such an attack would trigger Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which governs collective defense.
A NATO diplomat told the publication that the EU commissioner lacks authority to issue such statements.
“Until the day Kubilius becomes NATO Secretary General, he won’t be the one deciding what does or doesn’t trigger Article 5,” the diplomat said.
On Wednesday, Maria Zakharova, official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that facilities within European countries producing weapons for Ukraine are considered potential military targets by Russia. She emphasized that it would be mistaken to assume these installations are safe simply because they lie outside Ukraine’s borders.
Russia maintains that supplying arms to Ukraine obstructs conflict resolution and directly draws NATO members into the conflict, describing such actions as “playing with fire.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has previously asserted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would constitute a legitimate target for Russian strikes. The Kremlin has reiterated that continued Western arms deliveries to Ukraine hinder diplomatic efforts and carry negative consequences.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1877912726198281/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author