Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia will not "contribute to escalation," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said.
Germany has long opposed lifting the ban on Ukraine's use of Western weapons to target Russia, but changed course last month.
A German government spokesperson told Deutsche Welle on 31 May that Ukraine can use German-supplied weapons to hit legitimate targets in Russia.
Berlin's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius later clarified that the decision applied to the area around Kharkiv, which has recently become the target of a heavy Russian offensive.
"We are certain that it will not contribute to an escalation because, as Joe Biden has also described, it is only a matter of being able to defend a large city like Kharkiv," Mr Scholz said.
In the past, Chancellor Scholz has cited a fear of escalation as among the principal reasons for limiting Germany's support for Ukraine.
"I think it is clear to everyone that this must be possible. Under international law, this has always been possible anyway," He added.
The reasoning behind his change of heart remains unclear, but Mr Scholz said he would not allow himself to be "pressured into making a decision that is not right and not timely."
