Ukraine war live updates: Italy says no to Ukraine using Western weapons to strike military targets inside Russia

Russia’s cross-border offensive into Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region has prompted Western leaders to urgently consider whether to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike military bases inside Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron has joined the head of NATO in calling for a policy shift that would allow Ukraine to hit targets on Russian soil. However, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reportedly said on Thursday that any weapons it has supplied to Kyiv should not be used on Russian territory.

Some top U.S. officials are said to be in favor of lifting the restrictions on how Ukraine uses weapons provided by Washington, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing two unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter.

CNBC has contacted the White House for comment.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that China could hold peace talks to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, praising Beijing for its “constructive approach.”

“We share [China’s] standpoint that it is crucial, first and foremost, to address the root causes and protect the legitimate interests of all parties,” Lavrov said in an interview with Rossiya Segodnya media group, according to comments published via the Foreign Ministry’s website.

His comments come shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged U.S. President Joe Biden to attend a peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June.