President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to utilize American weaponry to carry out defensive strikes within Russia, specifically to protect Kharkiv. This decision has been confirmed by four U.S. officials who are knowledgeable about the situation.
According to anonymous officials familiar with the matter, the United States maintains its stance on Ukraine refraining from using American-provided ATACMS or long-range missiles and other munitions to launch offensive strikes inside Russia. This policy remains unchanged.
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According to an official, President Biden’s directive permits the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine for the purpose of counterfire. This means that Ukraine will be able to retaliate against Russian forces that are either attacking or preparing to attack them.
Ukrainian officials are increasing their appeals to the U.S. administration, urging them to grant permission for their forces to retaliate against attacks that originate from Russian territory. The city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is located a mere 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the Russian border.
AP According to Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani, President Biden has partially removed a ban on Ukraine using US armaments in Russian territory.
Politico originally reported Biden’s decision.
Ukrainian leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have become increasingly vocal in claiming that the restriction was putting Ukrainian forces in an untenable position as Russia intensified attacks in the northeast Kharkiv region.
The advances came as Russia took advantage of a lengthy delay in replenishing US military supplies, and Western Europe’s weak military production has hampered critical supply to the battlefield for Ukraine.
Talks about modifying the policy heated up within the Biden administration more than two weeks ago, after Russia escalated its offensive near Kharkiv, according to one of the sources familiar with the White House deliberations.
According to a US official familiar with the White House deliberations, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a secure video conference with their Ukrainian counterparts in which the Ukrainian side pressed for permission to use US weaponry to hit Russian positions across the border that were being used to attack the Kharkiv region.
Following the May 13 meeting with the Ukrainians, Sullivan, Austin, and Brown met and decided to make a recommendation to Biden to change the policy.
Two days later, Sullivan presented the idea to Biden, arguing that it was plain sense for Ukrainians to be free to fight back in response to Russian-backed attacks on their country. Biden concurred.
Later, on May 15, Biden spoke with Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who commands US European Command, Austin, and Sullivan, and asked them to move on with finalizing the details of the policy change.
Meanwhile, during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv two weeks ago, Zelenskyy argued for the use of American weaponry to counter Russian positions that were launching attacks into north and northeast Ukraine.
Blinken was persuaded and took that message back to Washington, according to three US sources familiar with the top diplomat’s thoughts.
Blinken met with Biden and Sullivan on May 17 following his visit to Kyiv, where he recounted what he had learned from Zelenskyy and stated unequivocally that he supported providing the Ukrainians with additional latitude to strike back at Russia.
However, Biden remained wary and requested due diligence before giving final permission.
Sullivan called the administration’s national security leaders for a meeting the next week, and they all decided to proceed. Sullivan gained final permission from Biden a few days ago, but the guidance did not take effect until Thursday, according to the official.
The decision was not easy to make. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Biden has been firm in his opposition to Ukraine’s offensive use of American-made weaponry, fearing that the action would be perceived as aggressive and lead to Moscow expanding the war.
In Moldova on Wednesday, Blinken stated that U.S. policy on how Ukraine deploys American weaponry is continuously developing, implying that Washington may change its unwritten prohibition on Ukraine using them for assaults on Russian territory. Blinken attended a NATO foreign ministers conference in Prague on Thursday, where he saw a Czech military base and witnessed armored vehicles on their way to Kyiv.
Although US officials argue there is no legal arms restriction, they have long stated that using American weapons to attack targets within Russia may result in an escalatory response from Moscow, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised.
Blinken emphasized that this posture was a “hallmark” of the Biden administration’s approach to Ukraine, which was to “adapt and adjust” as needed.
“As the conditions have changed, as the battlefield has changed, as what Russia does has changed in terms of how it’s pursuing its aggression and escalation, we’ve adapted and adjusted, too, and I’m confident we’ll continue to do that,” Blinken said during a press conference in Moldova.
“We’re always listening, we’re always learning, and we’re always making determinations about what’s necessary to make sure that Ukraine can effectively continue to defend itself, and we’ll continue to do that,” he stated.
There has been an increase in calls for policy changes.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Western countries should not protest if Ukraine needed to attack within Russia to defend itself. Stoltenberg confirmed this position on Thursday.
“I believe that time has come to re-consider some of these restrictions to enable the Ukrainians to really defend themselves,” he stated. “We should remember what it is.”This is an aggressive war that Moscow has chosen to wage on Ukraine.”
He stated that the right to self-defense “also includes striking legitimate military targets outside Ukraine.”
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said Thursday at a NATO gathering in Prague that Ukraine requires resources to confront Russia’s persistent attack.
“Ukraine cannot fight against Russia with one hand tied behind its back,” he stated. “Ukraine must be able to combat Russia’s brutal assault, even on Russian soil.” Credible capability must support political resolve.
According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Norway’s foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, believes Ukraine “has a crystal-clear right under international law to attack Russia inside Russia as part of the defense of its territory.”
Biden’s decision comes as he prepares to travel to France early next month to attend the 80th anniversary commemorations of D-Day in Normandy, which changed the direction of World War II. Zelenskyy is one of hundreds of foreign leaders slated to attend the D-Day commemorations.
