President Joe Biden has reportedly given Ukraine permission to use American weapons to attack Russian territory, according to Politico.
Biden’s decision represents a major shift in the US approach to the Russia-Ukraine war, as he has previously resisted calls to provide Ukrainian forces with offensive weapons to attack inside Russia. according to Politico, citing anonymous U.S. officials and other sources familiar with the move, said Ukrainian forces have suffered setbacks in the country’s northeast that appear to have prompted the change of tack, but some Ukraine skeptics warn that allowing U.S. weapons to be used on Russian soil could lead to serious escalation that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not welcome.
“The president recently directed his team to allow Ukraine to use U.S. weapons for counterattack purposes in Kharkiv so that Ukraine can strike back against Russian forces that are attacking or preparing to attack Ukraine,” a U.S. official told Politico, adding that the administration’s policy of not allowing long-range attacks within Russia’s borders “has not changed.” (Related: Months after Biden declared Putin “already lost the war,” White House reportedly worried about Russia’s sudden emboldening)
Are you surprised? They’re trying to “anti-Trump” Ukraine policy before Trump gets into the White House. https://t.co/CCNCfHvdYd
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According to Politico, Ukrainian forces can now use US weapons to counter Russian missiles headed for Kharkiv, attack soldiers gathering in Russia to attack the city’s outskirts, and shoot down Russian bombers attacking Ukraine. But this new stance reportedly means Ukraine cannot use its firepower to target civilian infrastructure or launch long-range attacks on military installations in Russia’s interior.
According to Politico, the Biden administration had previously argued that allowing Ukraine to attack Russian soil with U.S.-supplied weapons could encourage Putin to escalate or widen the conflict. But the deteriorating situation around Kharkiv has reportedly forced the administration to change its mind. Ukrainian officials, in particular, have stressed the need to stop a military buildup from spilling over the border into the northeast.
Other U.S. allies that contributed to Ukraine’s war effort, such as France and Britain, have previously argued that Ukraine should be able to attack within Russia’s borders using weapons provided by the West, according to Politico. Warned Putin said NATO would risk escalation if it allowed weapons provided to Ukraine to be used to attack Russian soil. caveat He said allowing such attacks “could have serious consequences.”
The Department of Defense (DOD) declined to comment and referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to the National Security Council (NSC). Neither the White House nor the NSC immediately responded to requests for comment.
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