Various signs point towards impending far-reaching assaults on Russia.
The United Kingdom has reportedly given its approval, while the U.S. is offering vague responses to inquiries. Ukraine seems to be on the brink of obtaining permission to utilize longer-range weapons from both nations, targeting areas within Russian territory.
During a press conference in Warsaw, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the U.S. is prepared to modify its military assistance for Ukraine and "fine-tune" it. When asked if the U.S. had authorized Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia with Western weapons, Blinken replied: "I can assure you that we will persist in doing what we've been doing: we will fine-tune, we will adjust as necessary, including with regard to the resources available to Ukraine."
Blinken mentioned that he had engaged in extensive discussions with his British counterpart, David Lammy, in Kyiv the day prior. These discussions centered on how the Ukrainians were assessing the battlefield and their necessities. These insights would be considered in the future. "And if necessary, we will adjust," Blinken added.
As reported in the "New York Times," U.S. President Joe Biden is under pressure to relax limitations. Senior American military strategists are no longer advocating against it, and senior former U.S. diplomats and generals recently urged Biden in a letter to "allow Ukraine to defend itself."
Moscow warns of metal sanctions
Earlier, Biden had informed reporters that they were "working on" the question of allowing attacks on Russian territory. Up until now, the U.S. has limited the use of its weapons to defending against the Russian offensive against the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
In retaliation to long-range weapon attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently mentioned export constraints on metals, including uranium. Russia is the world's sixth-largest producer, while other raw materials such as titanium or nickel also have Western buyers.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), over 200 military targets in Russia are within the range of U.S. ATACMS long-range missiles. These targets include large military support bases, communication stations, logistics centers, repair facilities, fuel depots, ammunition storage facilities, and headquarters.
"Guardian": UK approves Storm-Shadow assaults
Sources from the British "Guardian" suggest that the U.K. has already given its permission for Ukraine to use Storm-Shadow cruise missiles against targets deep within Russia. According to the report, this decision will not be publicly announced when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Biden meet in Washington on Friday. There was also no public announcement during the visit of British Foreign Secretary Lammy and Blinken to Kyiv, as to avoid unnecessary provocation. Blinken reportedly mentioned in Ukraine, according to the "Guardian," that the supply of ballistic missiles by Iran to Russia had altered strategic thinking in London and Washington.
The European Union has yet to publicly declare its stance on allowing Ukraine to target Russian territory with longer-range weapons, but the approval from both the U.S. and the UK could potentially influence their decision.
During Blinken's discussion with Lammy in Kyiv, the potential role of the European Union in providing support to Ukraine was likely a topic of interest, given the UK's approval of Storm-Shadow attacks and the pressure on Biden to relax limitations on Ukraine's defense.
