Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with US weapons

The Biden administration has quietly given Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia, exclusively in the Kharkiv area, using US-supplied weapons. This was stated by three US officials and two other people familiar with the move.

Here's What We Know

Ukraine asked the US to change this policy only after Russia's offensive on Kharkiv began this month.

In effect, Ukraine can now use weapons it receives from the US, such as missiles and grenade launchers, to shoot down Russian missiles launched at Kharkiv. They can also use these weapons against troops massing near the Russian border near the city or against Russian bombers dropping bombs on Ukrainian territory.

However, Ukraine cannot use these weapons to target civilian infrastructure or to launch long-range missiles, such as the Army's Tactical Missile System, to hit military targets deep inside Russia.

The Biden administration has hinted that the decision to allow Ukraine to use US weapons was made either secretly or in recent days. On 29 May, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, while supporting the lifting of the restrictions, became the first US official to publicly hint at a possible change of course to allow such strikes. Later, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby did not rule out possible changes.

The revelations come as leading US allies such as the United Kingdom and France have said that Ukraine should have the right to attack inside Russia with Western weapons. Both parties of lawmakers also supported the move, and senior US military officials briefed Congress on the military value of easing the restrictions.

The US has firmly stated that Kyiv should only use US weapons to directly strike Russian military targets used to invade Ukraine, not civilian infrastructure.

Source: Politico