President Joe Biden has decided to change his stance and allow Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to hit targets in Russian territory, a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday.
The president’s decision is a change of previous U.S. policy since the war began that was implemented in an effort to ensure the United States is not dragged into the conflict. The U.S., however, is not alone in reconsidering its previous decision not to allow Ukraine to use its weapons to hit targets in Russia.
Biden’s new policy allows for Ukrainian forces to hit Russian missiles heading toward Kharkiv and at troops massing just over the Russian border near the city, though they are still not permitted to hit civilian infrastructure or hit targets deep inside Russian territory.
“The President recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S.-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” a State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long range strikes inside of Russia has not changed.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted that the president was shifting his stance a day earlier.
“We’re going to make sure that it has the equipment it needs to do that. And another hallmark of our support for Ukraine over these now more than two years has been to adapt. As the conditions have changed, as the battlefield has changed, as what Russia does has changed in terms of how it’s pursuing its aggression, escalation, we’ve adapted and adjusted too, and I’m confident we’ll continue to do that,” the secretary said.