The Biden administration has decided to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with US-made weapons with the aim of repelling Russian attacks in the Kharkiv region, senior US officials said on Thursday.
The decision comes after weeks of discussions with the Ukrainians after Russia began a major attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Because Kharkiv is close to Russia, in northeastern Ukraine, the Russian army has bombarded the area surrounding the city with artillery and missiles fired or fired from within Russian territory, and the Ukrainians have asked the Americans to give them more space to defend Kharkiv. An American official said.
US officials said that permission from President Biden is only for Ukraine to strike military sites in Russia used to attack the Kharkiv region.
A senior US official in Washington said that the administration’s policy prohibiting Ukraine from using US-made weapons to launch “long-range” attacks inside Russia had not changed.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters traveling with him in Moldova that the United States will “adapt and adapt” to battlefield conditions. He was responding to a question about whether Biden would soon allow Ukraine to use US-made weapons to strike Russia. It was a strong suggestion that the president was making a decision to grant permission to Ukraine.
The leaders of NATO, France and Germany recently urged the United States to make this decision. In internal administration discussions, Mr. Blinken called for movement in this direction. He is attending a NATO meeting in Prague on Thursday and Friday and visited Ukraine more than two weeks ago.
Mr. Biden’s decision was reported earlier Thursday by Politico.
US officials said the Pentagon is tasked with giving Ukraine precise guidelines on what it can strike in Russia.
In addition to artillery and missile launchers, the Ukrainians are concerned about Russian aircraft launching glide bombs into Kharkiv from within Russian airspace. Glide bombs are simple munitions fitted with fins. Ukrainian officials say they want to use American-made weapons to attack Russian aircraft in Russian airspace and air bases inside Russia.
