Reviews | Ukraine needs Biden's permission to target inside Russia

US allies are already coming to this conclusion. On Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “The right to self-defense includes striking legitimate targets outside Ukraine. » On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “We believe that we must allow (Ukraine) to neutralize the (Russian) military sites from which the missiles are fired.” Poland gave a similar green light; Great Britain alluded to this. And in Moldova on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared to foreshadow a change of course in the United States, emphasizing that the Biden administration had always “adapted and adjusted” to changing circumstances. The Post reports that Mr. Biden decided to allow Ukraine to fire U.S. weapons at Russia around Kharkiv, a major city in northeastern Ukraine that has come under fire in recent weeks.

Russia destroys Ukrainian targets with weapons launched from within its borders. Russian glide bombs hit a home improvement supermarket in Kharkiv on Saturday, killing 19 people. These are large, conventional bombs dropped from aircraft and retrofitted to travel longer distances to a target. It is extremely difficult for air defenses to stop them, but Ukrainian-made weapons do not have the capacity to hit the Russian air bases from which they are launched.

A U.S.-supplied ballistic missile system in Ukraine's arsenal, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) could allow Ukraine to threaten Russian bases, thereby neutralizing Russia's advantage. ATACMS' range, of up to 190 miles, is nearly double that of a previous missile system the Biden administration gave to kyiv. But since Russia's full-scale invasion began more than two years ago, President Biden has insisted that all U.S.-supplied weapons be used only on Ukrainian territory (including occupied Crimea). by Russia in 2014).

The reason for Mr. Biden's restrictions is that Russian President Vladimir Putin had frequently warned the United States not to escalate the conflict, lest it trigger a “Third World War.” His most recent threat came Tuesday, when he said, “Consistent escalation can lead to serious consequences.”

Mr. Biden's posture has sparked criticism that he is micromanaging, and therefore weakening, Ukraine's war effort. Criticism is particularly justified in the case of Ukrainian drone strikes against the Russian oil industry, deep within Russian territory. The moves help deprive Moscow of a key revenue source, but the Biden administration has discouraged them over fears of rising oil prices.

Yet the president's fears are not unfounded, and his caution is largely defensible, in light of Mr. Putin's unpredictability, the ever-present risk of miscalculations — and Russia's arsenal of nuclear weapons strategic and battlefield. Russia and the United States keep their nuclear missiles on alert, ready for launch. The Biden administration is right to insist that Ukraine does not threaten Russian nuclear weapons systems; it probably wasn't a good idea for Ukraine to use drones to attack Russian early warning radars that help guard against an erroneous launch.

The United States and its allies have agreed to supply Ukraine's arsenal, train its troops and provide economic and humanitarian aid, but will not deploy their own forces. This must remain the case. The American people do not want to fight Russia directly – nor should they. The Russian invasion is, first and foremost, a war against Ukraine, and its troops fought it courageously.

However, so far, Mr. Putin has not followed through on his most dangerous threats of escalation, whether to use nuclear weapons or to extend the war beyond the border. Ukraine. He knows that the consequences for Moscow itself could be devastating.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's military situation remains dire. Russia is exploiting Ukraine's troop and ammunition shortage, has enhanced its deployments and electronic jamming of Ukraine's air defenses, and is ramping up its military-industrial machine. If the war escalates into a long-term struggle of attrition, as seems entirely possible, Russia would have size and population advantages over Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine must strike military targets within Russia's borders to prevent Russia from bombing its cities and conquering more territory. It is important to note that Ukraine seeks to use American weapons only on military targets, unlike Russian practice which regularly causes civilian deaths.

Mr. Biden appears to have made the right, albeit limited, decision to grant some of the permission requested by Mr. Zelensky. The express, but not necessarily public, condition should be that the weapons be used only against military targets. Such moves are calculated risks. But they are worth taking to help Ukraine defeat cross-border aggression, maintain hard-won national sovereignty, and build a future of prosperous democracy.