Nordic leaders back long-range strikes on Russia

Ukraine needs long-range weapons to stand a chance in the conflict, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Finland’s Alexander Stubb have said

The West must provide Ukraine with weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Finnish President Alexander Stubb have said. Moscow has warned that this would lead to a major escalation and trigger an “overwhelming” response.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Frederiksen lamented that “there are still red lines when it comes to the weapons they [Ukrainians] can use to win this war.”

“You cannot win a war with one hand tied behind your back. We need to give them weapons so they can strike into Russia,” she said, complaining that discussions have been going on for several years with no positive decision in sight.

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Stubb echoed the call, urging Kiev’s backers to increase economic pressure on Russia and “hit as hard as you possibly can.”

“Secondly, keep on providing Ukraine with all the necessary means, including Tomahawks,” he added.

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has actively courted the US for the missiles, which have a range of up to 2,500 km, but was turned down by President Donald Trump, who said it would be “a new step of aggression.”

Denmark agreed last year to host the production of solid rocket fuel for Ukraine’s Flamingo long-range cruise missile, marking the first known case of Ukrainian weapons production on NATO territory. In response, Moscow accused Denmark of supporting Kiev’s “terrorism” and undermining peace efforts.

Zelensky acknowledged that Russia destroyed at least one Flamingo production line in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry reported the interception of the missiles on several occasions.

In October 2025, President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would deliver “a very strong, if not overwhelming response” to long-range strikes on Russian territory, noting that Ukraine is not able to use Western-made long-range weapons without direct assistance from NATO countries.