Biden lets Ukraine use US arms inside Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pressing Kyiv’s supporters – chiefly the United States – to allow it to use the longer-range weaponry they supply to hit targets on Russian soil.

The United States has been rushing to get arms to Ukraine after Congress passed a huge military aid package following a six-month delay in April, but Biden had been reluctant to allow cross-border strikes.

However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had hinted on Wednesday that Biden was changing course in response, saying that Washington had “adapted and adjusted”.

Biden’s shift followed weeks of behind-the-scenes discussions between the White House and top US military and State Department officials in the days after Russia launched its Kharkiv offensive on May 10.

Ukraine asked for permission to use US arms on Russian territory on May 13 and Biden agreed in principle on May 15 after National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the case for Ukraine to be able to defend itself.

“NEUTRALISE” 

Biden then met on May 17 with Blinken, who travelled to Kyiv earlier this month to see the increasingly grave situation as Russia pushes towards Kharkiv and had been widely reported to be pressing Biden to ease the rules.

After working through the details, the US president gave a final sign-off in recent days but the decision was kept secret for operational reasons and only became effective on Thursday.

The White House has however made it clear to Kyiv that the permission for cross-border attacks was limited to targets just over the border and which were being used by Russia to launch offensives.

Officials also insisted that they had been expecting some form of Russian offensive and that with the influx of US arms, it has been stalled, preventing the possible capture of Kharkiv city.