President Joe Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia, two American officials said on Thursday. The decision is a U-turn that Kyiv’s allies hope helps turn the tide of the war.
The decision only applies to the area around the northeastern city of Kharkiv, and aims to ensure that Ukrainian forces can strike the Russian military as it attacks or prepares to attack, the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said. Long-range strikes inside Russia would not be allowed, they added.
The decision was first reported by Politico.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared to leave room for a shift on the issue.
“We haven’t encouraged or enabled strikes outside of Ukraine. Ukraine, as I’ve said before, has to make its own decisions about the best way to effectively defend itself,” he said during a trip to Europe that will include a NATO meeting Thursday. A “hallmark” of U.S. support for Ukraine, he said, “has been to adapt.”
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