Macron, Scholz: Ukraine can strike some targets in Russia

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday spoke in favor of allowing Ukraine to attack Russian positions inside Russia with Western weapons.

"We think that we should allow them to neutralize military sites where missiles are fired, from where ... Ukraine is attacked," Macron said at a joint press conference alongside the German chancellor following talks at Schloss Meseberg near Berlin, the official state guest house of the German Federal Republic.

At the same time, he stressed that "we should not allow them to touch other targets in Russia, and obviously civilian capacities."

Macron’s comments came on the third and final day of a state visit to Germany.

Scholz was more cautious, but said he had no legal objections to Macron's approach. He emphasized that as long as Ukraine respected international law and the conditions of countries supplying the weapons, it was "allowed to defend itself."

"Ukraine has every possibility under international law for what it is doing. That has to be said explicitly," Scholz said. "I find it strange when some people argue that it should not be allowed to defend itself and take measures that are suitable for this."

Germany and other countries have made the transfer of weapons to Ukraine subject to strict conditions, such as that they may not be used to attack targets in Russia over fears that would lead to an escalation. 

Scholz noted recently when saying Germany would not be sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine that they would be capable of striking Moscow from Ukrainian territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of "serious consequences" if Western countries allowed Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets in Russia.

Macron awarded peace prize in Münster

Earlier on Tuesday, Macron visited the western city of Münster, where he was presented with the International Award of the Peace of Westphalia by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Praising Macron as a "passionate European," Steinmeier thanked the French president for his affection for his country's neighbor, saying: "That France and Germany are so close today, is down to people like you."

He said Macron was "always ready to approach Germany, open up discussions and coax us out of our reservedness from time to time."

The International Award of the Peace of Westphalia, named after the 1648 peace treaty which ended the Thirty Years War, is a private sector prize awarded every two years to an individual or a representative of a group or state which has contributed to European solidarity.

It was initially supposed to be awarded in 2023, but Macron's state visit was postponed because of the domestic unrest in France at the time as he tried to implement pension reforms.

"Emmanuel Macron is a fighter for freedom, peace and Europe," the jury said, praising in particular the French president's efforts to promote a common European security both before and since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Macron calls for common European defense strategy

"Receiving a peace prize in a time of war appeared to me to be a paradox," said Macron in his acceptance speech, before reiterating his calls for a common European defense policy.

"But peace also means taking risks. If we proceed nationalistically, Ukraine will lose and we will have no peace in Europe for many years."

"I believe we have to be more optimistic," he continued. "As a European, being optimistic means being sure that Europe is the right answer."

Whether the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis or threats to democracy, Macron said: "We have to start Europe's next stage. We need to build up our European defense and become independent of our US partners."

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also took part in the award ceremony, backed Macron's calls for stronger and more coordinated European defense efforts.

"The last few years have clearly shown us that we must develop our own European strength if we want to protect peace on our continent," she said, highlighting in particular the task of developing a common European air defense system.

Macron warns against threat of authoritarianism

After the ceremony, Macron and Steinmeier signed the Golden Book of the city of Münster before greeting crowds from the balcony of the town hall.

Along with widespread applause, there were also boos and whistles from pro-Palestinian demonstrators and opponents of nuclear energy.

On day one of his state visit on Sunday, Macron praised the Franco-German friendship and took part in a game of table football with Steinmeier in Berlin. He began day two with a visit to the Holocaust Memorial in the German capital before traveling to the eastern city of Dresden where, speaking in both French and German, he warned of the threat of authoritarianism and called for European unity "in the center of Europe."

mf,nm/msh (dpa, AFP, epd)

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