President Joe Biden has eased a ban on Ukraine using weapons supplied by the United States to strike targets inside internationally recognized Russian territory, supposedly as a means to defend an ongoing Russian offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv Oblast.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the approval while speaking at a news conference in Prague following an informal meeting between North Atlantic Treaty Organization representatives, with Blinken stating that Biden's approval came after recent requests from Kyiv.
“That went right to the president, and as you’ve heard, he’s approved use of our weapons for that purpose. Going forward, we’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing, which is as necessary adapt and adjust,” Blinken said.
Before Blinken’s confirmation, three U.S. officials and two other informed sources reported that the Biden administration had discreetly provided Ukraine with the authorization to strike within Russia using U.S.-provided weapons, specifically in territory near the northeastern Kharkiv region. (Related: Ukraine’s starting to get dangerous.)
"The president recently instructed his team to ensure Ukraine can use U.S. weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv," one U.S. official said. This allows Ukraine to retaliate against Russian forces targeting or preparing to target the area, although the restriction on long-range strikes inside Russia remains unchanged.
Russia's offensive on Kharkiv influenced U.S. decision to green light strike inside Russian territories
Ukraine's request for this policy change came after Russia's recent offensive on Kharkiv, the official noted. All sources were granted anonymity to discuss unannounced internal decisions.
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In recent days, the U.S. decided to give Ukraine "flexibility" to defend against attacks near the Kharkiv border, a second U.S. official explained.
Consequently, Ukraine can now use American weapons, such as rockets and rocket launchers, to intercept Russian missiles heading toward Kharkiv, target troops near the border or strike bombers launching attacks on Ukrainian territory – even while the missiles, troops and bombers are still inside Russia.
The only stipulation the U.S. gave is that these weapons can't be used to specifically target civilian infrastructure, and Ukraine has not been given the green light to launch long-range missiles deep into Russia, possibly to ameliorate U.S. concerns about U.S.-made weapons being used to strike at Moscow.
The recent U.S. decision has angered Kremlin officials. It coincided with France and other European countries also indicating that Ukraine could use their weapons against military targets inside Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of “serious consequences,” emphasizing Russia’s nuclear capabilities.
Russia's RIA Novosti agency quoted Chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma Andrey Kartapolov, who said Moscow would retaliate asymmetrically to Ukrainian attacks using U.S.-provided weapons. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council, also warned that Russia was not bluffing about the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Germany also suggested that Ukraine could use Western-supplied weapons to strike forces inside Russia. A German government spokesperson noted that Russia had conducted strikes on the Kharkiv region from positions near the Russian border, asserting Ukraine's right under international law to defend itself with the provided weapons.
Zelenskyy has been urging allies to allow the use of longer-range weaponry against Russian soil amid an increase in attacks, particularly on Kharkiv. Recent Russian attacks have caused significant casualties and damage in the city.
Learn more about the conflict in Ukraine at UkraineWitness.com.
Watch this video of former intelligence officer Scott Ritter describing how Washington is in control of every aspect of the missiles it sends to Ukraine.
This video is from the PureTrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.
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