In an unprecedented shift, President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to launch counter-fire strikes inside Russia using American-provided weapons, albeit with tight restrictions to prevent escalation. This landmark decision represents a significant policy reversal, officials had previously maintained that they do not encourage the use of U.S. weapons to strike within Russia.
The directive, confirmed by a U.S. official, permits Ukrainian forces to target Russian positions near Kharkiv with U.S.-supplied arms. “The President recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S.-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them.” But U.S. policy prohibiting the use of long-range missiles known as ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System.
Fearing escalation, Biden had been reluctant to authorize the use of weapons to hit targets inside Russia despite pressure from Ukraine and European allies. However, Moscow’s advances on Kharkiv in recent weeks may have persuaded him.
A hallmark of US support for Ukraine “has been to adapt as the conditions have changed, battlefields change, as what Russia does has changed in terms of how it is pursuing its aggression escalation, we’ve adapted and adjusted too,” Blinken said on Wednesday on a visit to Moldova. “I am confident we will continue to do that.”
The wheels were already in motion for Biden to amend the US policy when Blinken returned to Washington. According to US officials, the secretary of state signed on to a recommendation that had been made to Biden by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff C.Q. Brown in the days after Russia launched its offensive on May 10.
The authorization is seen as a response to the precarious situation in northeast Ukraine, with the intent of lifting “a major burden on Ukraine’s efforts to defend civilians in Kharkiv and to stop the Russian offensive,” stated John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
Relevant articles:
– Biden gives Ukraine permission to carry out limited strikes within Russia using US weapons , CNN, 06/01/2024
– Biden allows Ukraine to hit Russia with American weapons near Kharkiv, Voice of America – VOA News, 05/31/2024
– Biden authorizes Ukraine’s use of US-supplied arms inside Russia, Scripps News, 05/31/2024
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