Europe divided on arming Ukraine to neutralize Russian bases

Ukraine wants to use donated weapons to attack targets inside Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron supports this idea, but not all of Ukraine's allies agree. Macron suggested that Ukraine should be allowed to hit Russian territory if facing a direct threat. This topic caused a divide among Kyiv's allies during a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels. The main issues discussed were whether Ukraine should use donated weapons to attack Russia and if allies should send troops to help train Ukrainian recruits. Some European countries, like the U.K., the Baltics, Finland, Poland, and others, are okay with Ukraine targeting Russia. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of "serious consequences" if Western countries allowed this. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained that they are not using their partners' weapons to attack Russia to avoid risking their support. The International Crisis Group suggested that Europe should provide more weapons and training to help Ukraine. Europe is struggling to produce enough artillery shells and missiles to support Ukraine. The EU admitted it fell short of its promise to provide one million shells by March 2024. To address this, €500m was allocated to increase production. The Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) aims to boost the production of explosives needed for artillery shells and missiles. Europe needs more explosives to meet its goal of producing 2 million shells annually by the end of 2025. However, explosive makers are unsure if they can increase production smoothly, which could affect Ukraine's competitiveness on the battlefield.