Ukraine could potentially assault Russian land using American-provided arms.
Washington has long stated that Ukraine shouldn't use US weapons to target Russian land. However, Secretary of State Blinken has recently stated that the decision is up to Kiev. The call to remove this restriction has become louder due to the escalating conflict in the Russian-Ukrainian border area.
As stated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the American government doesn't forbid Ukraine from attacking Russian land with American weapons. Blinken clarified, "We have not supported or enabled any attacks outside of Ukraine. But Ukraine must decide for itself how it wants to wage this war to defend its territory."
The choice to use weapons from the $61 billion aid package for targets in Russia now rests with the Ukrainian government. Previously, there were criticisms that the US would forbid such a deployment, which high-ranking officials had emphasized in the past.
Russia expert George Barros from the Institute for the Study of War, who analyzes the Russian invasion of Ukraine daily, noted this potential shift in a lengthy report on Monday. He believes lifting the ban would enhance Ukraine's ability to defend itself against the new offensive near Kharkiv.
Notably, Illia Ponomarenko, a prominent Ukrainian journalist, criticized American policy during a guitar performance by Blinken in a Ukrainian bar. Ponomarenko opined that Blinken's interlude "could have worked much better if he had first announced an exceptional aid package for Ukraine and a significant shift by the US government towards the use of US weapons against critical military targets on Russian territory."
Unchecked Russian Air Raids from Their Own Airspace
George Barros, a Russia expert from the Institute for the Study of War, voiced that Ukraine could utilize US weapons to intercept aircraft over the Russian region of Belgorod, where Kremlin troops are reportedly firing cruise missiles towards Kharkiv without intervention. "Russian aircraft can attack the city indefinitely without ever leaving the protected area of Russian airspace," said Barros.
At the press conference, US Secretary of State Blinken also commented about Kiev's request for two Patriot air defense systems for the Kharkiv region. It's worth noting that the US has only supplied Ukraine with one Patriot system throughout the entire conflict and is its biggest backer.
However, no clear commitment has yet been made by Washington. "We are intensely focused on Patriots and other forms of air defense," Blinken remarked. "We're working tirelessly to find them and get them into Ukraine. Kharkiv is a top priority," he added.
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In light of the escalating conflict in the Russian-Ukrainian border area, there have been calls to remove the restriction on Ukraine using US-provided weapons to target Russian land. According to George Barros, a Russia expert at the Institute for the Study of War, lifting this ban would enhance Ukraine's ability to defend itself against new offensives.
Russian aircraft are currently able to attack Ukrainian cities like Kharkiv indefinitely without leaving Russian airspace. George Barros suggests that Ukraine could potentially use US-provided weapons to intercept these aircraft over the Russian region of Belgorod, where Kremlin troops are reportedly firing cruise missiles towards Kharkiv.
Source: www.ntv.de
