United States President Joe Biden has eased a ban on Ukraine using US weapons inside Russian territory to help the country defend its northeastern Kharkiv region from attack, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed,
Al Jazeera reports.
Speaking at a news conference in Prague after an informal meeting of NATO ministers on Friday, Blinken said that Biden’s approval came after Kyiv sought authorisation from Washington in recent weeks.
“And that went right to the president, and as you’ve heard, he’s approved use of our weapons for that purpose. Going forward, we’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing, which is as necessary adapt and adjust,” Blinken added.
He also noted that Washington’s move marked a change in policy by Biden, who had previously refused to allow Ukraine to use American weaponry for strikes inside Russia.
Blinken added that the US is responding to what it has seen in the Kharkiv region, which has come under renewed Russian attacks in Recent weeks.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, is 19 miles (30 km) from the border with Russia.
It is the second time this year that Biden has quietly relaxed his policy on weapons supplies for Ukraine. Earlier this year, he agreed to send long-range missiles, known as ATACMS, to Kyiv.
The US decision this week angered Kremlin officials. It came as France and other European countries also indicated that Ukraine would be allowed to use their weapons on military targets inside Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned on Tuesday of “serious consequences”, stressing his country’s nuclear strength, if Ukraine’s Western allies loosened their policy.
