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Allies loosen limits on strikes inside Russia
Summary
On 29 May 2024, Sweden, France, Germany and Poland made aid and targeting announcements that reshaped the terms of Western military support for Ukraine.
What changed for Ukraine's partners on 29 May 2024? In a single day, several European governments announced larger aid and fewer restrictions on how their weapons could be used.
France and Germany announced that French and German weapons sent to Ukraine, including long-range missiles, were permitted to target bases inside Russia. The Polish Defence Ministry said it had given Ukraine permission to use Polish-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russian territory.
Sweden's largest package
Sweden also announced a military aid package worth $1.23 billion, the largest it had given to Ukraine up to that point.
Support built up in the days before
The announcements followed another commitment two days earlier. On 27 May 2024, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, signed a bilateral security pact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) of military aid.
Taken together, the announcements of 27 and 29 May 2024 combined new funding from Spain and Sweden with permissions from France, Germany and Poland covering the use of their weapons against targets on Russian territory. The announcements were made within the framework of Western military aid to Ukraine and of Ukraine's and Russia's relations with NATO members.
