Biden's U-turn on Ukraine arms restrictions is a 'half measure,' US Congress members say

A group of Republican congressmen released a letter on May 31 criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden's reversal on Ukraine's ban on using U.S. weapons to strike targets in Russia, saying he acted as a “half measure”.

The letter, signed by Michael McCaul, Mike Turner and Mike Rodgers, said “the decision should have been made before the recent Russian offensive in Kharkiv, not after.”

Moscow launched a new offensive on May 10 in Kharkiv Oblast. While the Ukrainian military claims to have managed to largely stabilize the situation, Russia continues to launch attacks on the city of Kharkiv and its surrounding areas.

As Western leaders increasingly call for allowing Ukraine to use foreign-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, conflicting reports have emerged in recent days that the United States has changed its policy .

Serhii Nykyforov, spokesman for the Ukrainian presidential office, said on May 31 that the United States had authorized Ukraine to use weapons supplied by the United States to strike targets in Russia located near the border with Ukraine. Kharkiv Oblast, but had still banned the use of ATACMS and other long-range weapons. -range weapons.

Later in the day, Michael Carpenter, senior director for Europe at the US National Security Council, said the US would allow Ukraine to strike targets in Russia across the border , from the Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, with weapons supplied by the United States.

The Pentagon, on the other hand, insisted on May 30 that there had been “no change” in the policy regarding the use of American weapons without specifically mentioning the attacks near Kharkiv Oblast.

Members of Congress criticized both the slowness with which the policy change was disclosed and the fact that it still imposed significant restrictions.

“By disclosing to the press that the policy reversal only applies to certain weapons supplied by the United States to a limited area in Russia, the (Biden) administration has telegraphed to Russia exactly how to adapt effectively to this change in policy, thereby diminishing the military effectiveness of the decision,” the letter states.

“To win this war of self-defense against Russian aggression, Ukraine must be allowed to use U.S.-supplied weapons against any legitimate military target in Russia, not just along the border near Kharkiv. “