Biden partially lifts ban on Ukraine using US weapons to attack Russia

The Biden administration has partially lifted a ban on Ukrainian forces using US weapons to attack inside Russian territory in a bid to defend Kharkiv, a US official confirmed on Thursday.

President Biden “recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is capable of using U.S.-supplied weapons for counterfire purposes in the Kharkiv region so that Ukraine can strike back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” said a US official. said The Hill.

But they stressed that the administration’s policy of not allowing the use of ATACMS or long-range strikes inside Russia “has not changed.”

The move, first reported by Politico, is a major step back from the firm U.S. policy of prohibiting U.S.-supplied weapons from being used by Kiev’s forces to strike targets on the border with Russia, a position Washington has maintained to avoid escalation. of the conflict. conflict.

Ukraine has recently stepped up pressure on US authorities to change their position, while Russia has warned of “serious consequences” if Western weapons reach its soil.

Kiev reportedly asked the US to make the policy change after Russia’s offensive on Kharkiv began earlier this month, with the administration in recent days granting Ukraine room to maneuver to defend itself from cross-border attacks near the city, the report said. Political.

But in the hour leading up to news of the changes, the Defense Department firmly denied any policy changes.

“There has been no change in our policy,” Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters at the Pentagon. “The security assistance we provide to Ukraine must be used inside Ukraine, and we do not encourage attacks or permit attacks inside Russia. We believe Ukraine can be effective by focusing on tactical and operational targets that directly influence the conflict within its borders, rather than pursuing larger geopolitical targets within Russia.”

Asked again about any changes to U.S. policy after reports emerged about the administration’s warning to Ukraine, a DOD spokesperson said there were “no new announcements on this,” referring questions to the NSC.

While Kiev can now use U.S. rockets and rocket launchers to shoot down Russian missiles or bombers firing at Kharkiv, as well as troops massed just over the border near the city, they cannot target civilian infrastructure or launch long-range missiles to target military personnel. . targets far inside the other country, officials told Politico.

The administration suggested for the first time on Wednesday that the US could change its stance on allowing Russian assets to be targeted within the Kremlin’s borders, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken noting that Washington has “also adapted and adjusted, and we will continue to do so.”

This was followed by comments from White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who said that while there was no change in policy, “US support for Ukraine has evolved appropriately.”

Alex Gangitano contributed reporting

Updated: 6:10 p.m.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story