Pressure Biden to let Ukraine hit Russia with US weapons

Pressure is growing on US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory.

A number of US allies indicated this week that they were open to the possibility.

Russian Vladimir Putin has warned of “serious consequences”, particularly for what he calls the “small countries” of Europe.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington's position on the issue would “adapt and adjust” as battlefield conditions evolve. He is currently in Prague, the Czech capital, for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday evening that while U.S. support for kyiv has evolved, “at this time there is no change in our policy either.” .

Ukraine is struggling to counter a Russian offensive in the east of the country, while the city of Kharkiv has been suffering deadly attacks for weeks, often launched by Russia from military outposts near the Ukrainian border.

Blinken's statement, during a trip to Europe, followed more direct comments made earlier this week by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Ukraine should be “allowed” to use weapons provided by the West against military sites on Russian territory – although this is strictly prohibited. civilian targets.

Mr Macron has been arguing for more direct intervention in Ukraine's war for some time – but other Western leaders also appear to be softening to the idea.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz remained cautious in public, but a spokesman in Berlin said “defensive action is not limited to one's own territory, but also includes the territory of the aggressor.”

Last week, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told The Economist newspaper that the West should allow Ukraine to defend itself by striking military bases in Russia. “Ukraine has the right to defend itself. And this includes strikes on targets on Russian territory,” he said.

British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said earlier this month that it was up to Ukraine to decide how to use British weapons, while this week Poland's deputy defense minister said that the Ukrainians could use Polish weapons “as they saw fit”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said it was “unfair” for Western countries to impose limits on the use of their weapons, while acknowledging that Ukraine could not risk the support of its partners.