US President Joe Biden’s administration will allow Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons for attacks inside Russian territory, three sources with knowledge of the matter said, a significant change from Washington’s policy on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range strike in the coming days, the sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns.
The White House declined to comment.
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The US decision, two months before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, was made after months of requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for permission for the Ukrainian Army to use US weapons to target Russian military targets far from the border.
The change of stance comes after Russia mobilized North Korean ground troops to supplement its own forces, causing alarm in Washington and Kiev.
The first long-range strikes will likely be carried out with ATACMS rockets, which reach 306 kilometers away, according to the sources.
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While some U.S. officials have expressed skepticism that allowing long-range strikes could change the overall trajectory of the war, the decision could help Ukraine at a time when Russian forces are making gains and could put Kiev in a better negotiating position. when, and if, there are negotiations for a ceasefire.
It is unclear whether Trump will reverse Biden’s decision when he takes office. Trump has long criticized the magnitude of U.S. financial and military aid to Ukraine and has promised to end the war quickly, without explaining how.
Still, some congressional Republicans called on Biden to loosen rules on how Ukraine could use U.S.-supplied weapons.
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Russia warned that it would view a decision to loosen limits on Ukraine’s use of US weapons as a major escalation of the conflict.
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