Ukraine ‘frustrated’ with US decision on strikes inside Russia – Politico
Ukraine is disappointed by a US decision to only partially lift its ban on using American-made weapons for strikes deep inside Russian territory, Politico reported on Friday, citing sources.
Debates have intensified in the West about allowing Kiev to use foreign-supplied long-range weapons for cross border attacks in recent weeks, as Russian troops made substantial gains in Ukraine’s border Kharkov Region, with many NATO members supporting the policy shift.
While the US, Kiev’s main backer, was initially reluctant to get on board due to escalation concerns, this week several Western media outlets reported that Washington had greenlit “limited” strikes into what the West considers Russian territory – a decision that was later confirmed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
However, two people close to Vladimir Zelensky’s office told Politico that “there is some frustration” in Kiev over the restrictions. The outlet reported that Washington has approved the use of long-range weapons only in the Kharkov sector of the front, but noted that “it’s a start.”
The paper also claimed that Zelensky will meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Singapore on Saturday to discuss further possible cross-border strikes on Russia.
According to Politico, Washington’s policy shift – which some Western media have described as a new chapter in the conflict – was prompted by concerns in the Biden administration that Russia might capture Kharkov, Ukraine’s second largest city.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has called the US position on strikes into Russia “reckless,” warning that it could trigger a major escalation. At the same time, he said that Kiev had already been carrying out attacks on Russian territory with American-made weapons even without any approval from Washington.
Many of the Ukrainian attacks on Russian border regions in recent weeks and months have struck civilians and critical infrastructure, causing dozens of casualties. Against this backdrop, Russian President Vladimir Putin said this spring that Moscow would establish a “cordon sanitaire” in Ukrainian-controlled areas to prevent further attacks.
Last month, he explained that Russia’s Kharkov offensive is not aimed at capturing the city itself, but rather seeks to create the said security zone.
