Biden promises that Ukraine will not use American weapons to attack Moscow, the Kremlin, or other key areas within Russia.

June 6, 2024 TruthUSA

President Joe Biden provided new insights in a recent interview regarding how Ukrainian forces can utilize U.S.-donated weapons against targets within Russia.

The Biden administration had previously indicated support for Ukrainian forces to use U.S.-donated weapons to strike targets on the Russian side of the border, but did not specify the limits on the use of these weapons within Russia’s borders.

In a new interview with ABC News set to air on June 6, President Biden discussed the evolving rules of engagement.

ABC News host David Muir directly asked President Biden if Ukrainian forces had utilized any U.S.-supplied weapons within Russia’s borders. While the president did not give a direct answer, he emphasized that there are restrictions on when and where Ukrainian forces can attack inside Russia.

“They’re authorized to be used in proximity to the border when they’re being used on the other side of the border to attack specific targets in Ukraine,” President Biden told Muir. “We’re not authorizing strikes 200 miles into Russia and we’re not authorizing strikes on Moscow, on the Kremlin.”

President Biden and other NATO heads of state had been cautious about allowing Ukrainian strikes inside Russia to prevent escalating the conflict between Russia and Ukraine into a broader regional crisis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged NATO allies to relax those restrictions following a new Russian offensive near Kharkiv.

Austin: New Policy ‘Very Helpful’ For Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin mentioned that allowing U.S.-donated weapons to be used inside Russia will prove “very, very helpful to the Ukrainians going forward.”

“What we have done is provided Ukraine the ability to counter fire, to fire back at those Russian troops that are firing at them and to be able to take out their artillery batteries as they’re firing at the Ukrainians,” Mr. Austin told CNN.

Mr. Austin’s recent comments to CNN indicate a shift in tone regarding how Ukrainian forces engage in combat.

The defense secretary previously addressed Ukraine’s requests to strike inside Russia with U.S.-donated weapons during a Pentagon press briefing on May 20. At that time, Mr. Austin suggested that Ukrainian forces may fire into Russian airspace to intercept incoming aerial threats, emphasizing the need for focus on the immediate conflict.

Putin Warns of Retaliation

Not all NATO members support allowing Ukrainian forces to use NATO-donated weapons to strike inside Russia.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban raised concerns about endorsing Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, warning of potential consequences and heightened risk of conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also cautioned against Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, emphasizing the potential repercussions for Europe and questioning NATO’s stance.

During his interview with President Biden, Muir inquired about Putin’s recent comments and whether Ukrainian strikes using U.S.-donated weapons constitute direct participation in the conflict.

“I’ve known [Putin] for over 40 years. He’s concerned me for 40 years. He’s not a decent man. He’s a dictator,” President Biden responded, emphasizing that the weapons are intended to target specific threats on the border, not to launch attacks on major Russian cities.

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