The NATO Parliamentary Assembly has adopted a declaration calling on NATO allies to accelerate the supply of weapons to Ukraine and lift restrictions prohibiting their use against military targets on Russian territory, the press service of the NATO PA reports.

The Declaration was approved by a large majority of the over 200 lawmakers from across the 32-nation Alliance at a plenary meeting attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev.

“Ukraine must be provided with all that it needs, as quickly as possible and for as long as it takes for it to win,” says a declaration.

It also urged allied governments “to support Ukraine in its international right to defend itself by lifting some restrictions on the use weapons provided by NATO Allies to strike legitimate targets in Russia.”

At the same time, Michal Szczerba, President of the NATO PA, emphasized the importance of getting air defence systems and other vital weapons to Ukraine quickly and without restrictions.

“They need our help. Not in two years. Not in two months. Not even in two weeks. They need it now. We must speed up and step up. Give Ukraine everything it needs,” Szczerba told the meeting.

He also added that “Ukraine can only defend itself if it can attack Russia’s supply lines and Russian bases of operation. It is time to recognise this reality and let Ukraine do what it must.” Ukraine’s delegation told the Assembly restrictions preventing Kyiv from striking military targets over the border have hindered its efforts to thwart Moscow’s latest offensive into Kharkiv region.

“Russian terror must be stopped. To do this, we need your determination. We need more anti-aircraft weapons, more long-range capabilities for our soldiers … I ask you to contribute to the adoption of these decisions as much as possible,” Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov told the Assembly in a video message.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg nted that “allies have not delivered what they promised on air defence, these gaps, these delays in military support have had consequences on the ground.” “There is an urgent need for Allies to step up,” he said.

Stoltenberg agreed on the need to lift restrictions on the use of weapons. “The right to self-defence includes hitting legitimate targets outside Ukraine,” he said.

The declarationa also says that that NATO’s Summit “must send a clear signal that Allies will stand with Ukraine until victory and must take a concrete step forward towards Ukraine’s NATO membership.”

In addition, the Assembly urged NATO governments to “prepare a long-term strategy and proactive measures of modern containment of Russia in order to counter the Russian threat in all its dimensions, actively defend democracy and the rules-based international order … and contest Russia’s aggressive political, military and hybrid activities.”

In his turn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk welcomed the adoption of this declaration.

"I welcome the adoption by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly of a declaration calling for the acceleration of arms supplies to Ukraine and lifting of restrictions prohibiting the use of weapons provided by NATO member countries to strike legitimate targets in Russia," he wrote on Facebook.

Stefanchuk noted that Ukrainian cities are being attacked daily by Russia, as a result of which civilians are dying, and that the occupiers are destroying civilian infrastructure.

"It's time to lift restrictions and give the opportunity to strike at Russian military targets in order to stop terror from Russia," he stressed.