The United States is actively weighing whether to lift one of President Biden’s longest-held precautionary measures of the Ukraine war: a ban on the use of U.S.-provided weapons for offensive strikes inside Russia,The Washington Post reports.
The reassessment, several weeks in the making, is a byproduct of Russia’s renewed cross-border assault on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, a chorus of pressure from European officials and a visit to Kyiv by Secretary of State Antony Blinken this month that reinforced the peril facing Ukraine at this point in the war.
Blinken, during a visit to Moldova on Wednesday, became the first senior Biden administration official to publicly indicate that Washington is considering a policy shift that would allow Ukrainian forces to use longer-range ATACMS missiles and other U.S. weapons to attack positions inside Russia.
Blinken said the United States may “adapt and adjust” its position on the restrictions based on evolving battlefield needs.
While revealing that a change of course is under consideration, U.S. officials say the White House hasn’t yet made a decision. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military matters, say Blinken’s comments carefully reflect where the administration is in the policymaking process.
U.S. officials remain concerned about Ukrainian cross-border attacks on Russian territory, including the targeting of oil refineries and nuclear early-warning systems, fearing that they could dangerously unsettle Moscow.
Washington conveyed its concerns to Kyiv about two attempted attacks over the past week against radar stations that provide conventional air defense as well as warning of nuclear launches by the West. At least one strike in Armavir, in Russia’s southeastern Krasnodar region, appeared to have caused some damage.
