Joe Biden approves Ukraine’s using US rounds to strike Russian territory

US aid to Ukraine came with an important requirement. None of the weapons that the U.S. provided to Ukraine were to be used to strike targets on Russian Federation territory. However, Russia’s push towards Kharkiv left the Ukrainians with the inability to deal with this threat without using western rounds to strike targets within Russia. After initial hesitance, Joe Biden agreed to let the Ukrainian Army to strike targets within the Russian Federation. However, they could only use these rounds to strike in Russian areas near Kharkiv. The ban remains in effect for other Russian areas. Before Biden’s approval, other NATO countries authorized Ukraine to use their rounds against targets on Russian territory near Kharkiv.

From Associated Press:

Biden’s directive allows for U.S.-supplied weapons to be used for “counterfire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” one official said.

Ukrainian officials have stepped up calls on the U.S. administration to allow their forces to defend themselves against attacks originating from Russian territory. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is just 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border.

Biden’s decision was first reported by Politico.

Ukrainian officials, most notably Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been increasingly vocal in arguing that the restriction was putting Ukrainian forces in an untenable situation as Russia intensified attacks around the northeast Kharkiv region.

The advances came with Russia exploiting a lengthy delay in replenishment of U.S. military aid and as Western Europe’s inadequate military production has slowed crucial deliveries to the battlefield for Ukraine.

Talks about changing the policy intensified inside the Biden administration more than two weeks ago, after Russia stepped up its offensive around Kharkiv, according to one of the officials familiar with the White House deliberations.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a secure video conference with their Ukrainian counterparts in which the Ukrainian side pressed for permission to use U.S. weaponry to hit Russian positions across the border that were being used to attack the Kharkiv region, according to a U.S. official familiar with the White House deliberation.

Following that May 13 meeting with the Ukrainians, Sullivan, Austin and Brown huddled and agree to make a recommendation to Biden to alter the policy.

Sullivan presented the recommendation to Biden two days later, making the case that it was common-sense for the Ukrainians to be able to strike back to counter the attacks on their land that were originating from Russian territory. Biden agreed.

Later on May 15, Biden had a follow-up conversation with Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who leads U.S. European command, Austin and Sullivan and asked them to move forward on finalizing the details to the change in policy.

Meanwhile, during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv two weeks ago, Zelenskyy made his case for using American weapons to strike back at positions in Russia that were launching attacks into north and northeast Ukraine.

Additional Reading:

Madhani, A., & Miller, Z. (2024, May 31). Biden partially lifts ban on Ukraine using US arms in strikes on Russian territory, US officials say. Associated Press. Link.

Category: Russia, Ukraine