Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Biden Partially Lifts Ban on Ukraine Using US Arms in Strikes on Russian Territory, US Officials Say
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 7 months ago on
May 30, 2024

Biden allows Ukraine to use US weapons for defensive purposes against Russian attacks in Kharkiv, according to US officials. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use American weaponry to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The officials, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, underscored that the U.S. policy calling on Ukraine not to use American-provided ATACMS or long-range missiles and other munitions to strike offensively inside Russia has not changed.

Biden’s directive allows for U.S.-supplied weapons to be used for “counterfire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” one official said.

The move comes as Ukrainian officials have stepped up calls on the U.S. administration to allow its forces to defend itself against attacks originating from Russian territory. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is just 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border.

Biden’s decision was first reported by Politico.

Ukrainian Officials’ Response to the Directive

Ukrainian officials, most notably Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been increasingly vocal in arguing that the restriction was putting Ukrainian forces in an untenable situation as Russia intensified attacks around the northeast Kharkiv region.

The advances came with Russia exploiting a lengthy delay in replenishment of U.S. military aid and as Western Europe’s inadequate military production has slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield for Ukraine.

During Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv two weeks ago, Zelenskyy made his case for using American weapons to strike back at positions in Russia that were launching attacks into north and northeast Ukraine, according to three U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.

Biden’s Stance on Ukraine’s Offensive Use of American-Made Weaponry

Blinken was convinced and brought that message back to Washington, but it was ultimately Biden’s decision to make, the officials said.

Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Biden has been steadfast in his opposition to Ukraine’s offensive use of American-made weaponry, concerned that the action could be seen as provocative and lead to Moscow widening the war.

Blinken said in Moldova on Wednesday that U.S. policy on how Ukraine deploys American weapons is constantly evolving, hinting that Washington may alter its unwritten prohibition on Ukraine’s use of them for attacks on Russian territory. On Thursday, Blinken joined NATO foreign ministers for a meeting in Prague, where during a tour of a Czech military base he saw armored vehicles that are being sent to Kyiv.

Although U.S. officials insist there is no formal arms ban, they have long made clear that they believe the use of American weapons to attack targets inside Russia could provoke an escalatory response from Moscow, something that Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised.

That position, Blinken noted, was a “hallmark” of the Biden administration’s stance on Ukraine to “adapt and adjust” as needed. Blinken visited Kyiv earlier this month and heard a direct appeal from Zelenskyy to use U.S. military assistance to strike positions in Russian from where attacks on Ukraine are launched.

“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, escalation, we’ve adapted and adjusted too, and I’m confident we’ll continue to do that,” Blinken said at a news conference in Moldova.

“At every step along the way, we’ve adapted and adjusted as necessary, and so that’s exactly what we’ll do going forward,” he said. “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.”

Calls for a change in policy have been mounting.

Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that Western countries should not object if Ukraine needs to strike inside Russia to defend itself. Stoltenberg reaffirmed that 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 said. “We need to remember what it is. This is a war of aggression launched by choice by Moscow against Ukraine.”

The right to self-defense, he said, ” includes also striking legitimate military targets outside Ukraine.”

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said at a NATO-related event Thursday in Prague that Ukraine needs resources to counter Russia’s relentless assault.

“Ukraine cannot fight against Russia with one hand tied behind its back,” he said. “Ukraine must be able to fight against Russia’s barbaric invasion even on Russian territory. Political resolve must be backed by credible capabilities.”

Norway’s foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that his country 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’s set to travel to France early next month to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations in Normandy, a watershed moment in changing the course of World War II. Zelenskyy is among dozens of world leaders expected to attend to attend the D-Day commemorations.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Is Creating His Own Texas Town. Hundreds Already Live There.

DON'T MISS

Amazon and Starbucks Workers Are Striking. What Does It Mean for Labor Under Trump?

DON'T MISS

CalFire Shares 2024’s Top Images. See Highlights of Intense Wildfire Season.

DON'T MISS

While Sherrod Motors to Boise, Entz’s Bulldogs Add a Coach, Transfers, Recruits

DON'T MISS

California and Texas Duke It Out for Worst State to Raise a Family

DON'T MISS

Musk Slams ‘Wokepedia’ for Biased Editing, Urges Donation Boycott

DON'T MISS

Explore the Holiday Magic in California’s Death Valley

DON'T MISS

Visalia Unlicensed Driver Smashes Into Home. No Injuries Reported.

DON'T MISS

Penn State’s Schumacher-Cawley Is 1st Female Coach to Win NCAA Volleyball Title

DON'T MISS

Myles Turner Hits Late 3-Pointer, Scores 23 as Pacers Beat Warriors

UP NEXT

Amazon and Starbucks Workers Are Striking. What Does It Mean for Labor Under Trump?

UP NEXT

CalFire Shares 2024’s Top Images. See Highlights of Intense Wildfire Season.

UP NEXT

California and Texas Duke It Out for Worst State to Raise a Family

UP NEXT

Musk Slams ‘Wokepedia’ for Biased Editing, Urges Donation Boycott

UP NEXT

Explore the Holiday Magic in California’s Death Valley

UP NEXT

Visalia Unlicensed Driver Smashes Into Home. No Injuries Reported.

UP NEXT

Penn State’s Schumacher-Cawley Is 1st Female Coach to Win NCAA Volleyball Title

UP NEXT

Myles Turner Hits Late 3-Pointer, Scores 23 as Pacers Beat Warriors

UP NEXT

What Is Israel’s US Funded Plan for the Middle East?

UP NEXT

Caitlin Clark Honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year

While Sherrod Motors to Boise, Entz’s Bulldogs Add a Coach, Transfers, Recruits

19 hours ago

California and Texas Duke It Out for Worst State to Raise a Family

19 hours ago

Musk Slams ‘Wokepedia’ for Biased Editing, Urges Donation Boycott

20 hours ago

Explore the Holiday Magic in California’s Death Valley

20 hours ago

Visalia Unlicensed Driver Smashes Into Home. No Injuries Reported.

21 hours ago

Penn State’s Schumacher-Cawley Is 1st Female Coach to Win NCAA Volleyball Title

22 hours ago

Myles Turner Hits Late 3-Pointer, Scores 23 as Pacers Beat Warriors

22 hours ago

What Is Israel’s US Funded Plan for the Middle East?

22 hours ago

Caitlin Clark Honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year

22 hours ago

Rams Don’t Dominate, but They’re Mastered Winning Ugly

22 hours ago

Elon Musk Is Creating His Own Texas Town. Hundreds Already Live There.

Over the past few years, Elon Musk has expanded his footprint in Texas, moving his companies from California and building offices, warehouse...

57 minutes ago

The SpaceX starship rocket near the Starbase launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas, Feb. 21, 2024. Employees of SpaceX have filed a formal petition to create the city of Starbase. (Meridith Kohut/The New York Times)
57 minutes ago

Elon Musk Is Creating His Own Texas Town. Hundreds Already Live There.

57 minutes ago

Amazon and Starbucks Workers Are Striking. What Does It Mean for Labor Under Trump?

18 hours ago

CalFire Shares 2024’s Top Images. See Highlights of Intense Wildfire Season.

19 hours ago

While Sherrod Motors to Boise, Entz’s Bulldogs Add a Coach, Transfers, Recruits

19 hours ago

California and Texas Duke It Out for Worst State to Raise a Family

Photo of Elon Musk
20 hours ago

Musk Slams ‘Wokepedia’ for Biased Editing, Urges Donation Boycott

20 hours ago

Explore the Holiday Magic in California’s Death Valley

A vehicle crashed into a home on North Cain Street in Visalia Tuesday morning, causing minor property damage but no injuries, with the unlicensed driver cited at the scene. (Visalia PD)
21 hours ago

Visalia Unlicensed Driver Smashes Into Home. No Injuries Reported.

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend