Debate in the White House
Will Ukraine soon fire US weapons at targets in Russia?
23.05.2024, 09:56
The US appears to be rethinking how Ukraine is allowed to use US weapons. So far, Kyiv’s troops are not allowed to fire on Russian territory. According to a report, Secretary of State Blinken is pushing for a new regulation.
In order to avoid a third world war, US President Joe Biden has set the condition that Ukraine never fire US weapons onto Russian territory. However, the worsening situation at the front and the associated visit to Kyiv by Secretary of State Antony Blinken are said to have triggered a rethink in the White House. This is reported by the “New York Times“.
Washington is now considering giving the Ukrainians the opportunity to use US weapons to bombard missile and artillery positions directly across the border in Russia. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, these very positions are responsible for the Russians’ territorial gains in recent weeks.
Secretary of State Blinken is a driving force behind the proposal, the newspaper reports. However, the proposal is still in the drafting phase and it is not clear how many of his colleagues from Biden’s inner circle support it. The idea has not yet been officially presented to Biden himself.
Officials involved in the deliberations told the NYT that Blinken’s position has changed because the Russians have opened a new front in the war. Moscow’s forces had placed missile systems just across the border in northeastern Ukraine and aimed them at Kharkiv – “knowing full well that the Ukrainians are only able to use non-American drones and other weapons to respond.”
Although Ukraine has been attacking oil factories and power plants in the border region for weeks, many missiles and drones are intercepted. Just last night, Russia reported shooting down 35 missiles and three drones in the Belgorod border region. According to the NYT, improved electronic reconnaissance on the Russian side is being used for this purpose.
There had already been signs of a rethink on the part of the Americans. The United States is considering training Ukrainian troops within the country instead of sending them to Germany for training. This would require sending American military personnel to Ukraine, something Biden has so far prohibited.