There is an agreement between Kyiv and Washington regarding the strikes on Russia using American weapons, though it is currently limited to a restricted range. However, the State Department does not rule out the possibility of expanding this agreement.
James O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, made a significant statement on this matter during a hearing at the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Question of U.S. Strikes on Russia
Republican Congressman Thomas Kean asked the State Department representative about the U.S. administration’s policy on strikes on Russian territory, noting that this policy only changed after the aggressor’s advance on Kharkiv. However, even then, the White House resorted to half-measures.
«Congress still doesn’t understand what this policy is… The administration limits the use of American weapons within 100 kilometers of the border. This is significantly less than the full range of ATACMS, which exceeds 300 kilometers. How many Russian airbases are within the range of ATACMS that the administration is not allowing Ukraine to strike?» Kean asked.
In response, O’Brien noted that Russian forces are currently losing the ability to advance in the Kharkiv direction because the Ukrainian army is destroying their capabilities near the border. He stated that the priority has been to provide weapons and concentrate them in areas where they are most needed.
«Initially, this was the territory where Russia was conducting an offensive near Kharkiv. And now, as Jake Sullivan said last week, if Russia tries to expand this front, Ukraine will be allowed to reach targets at a greater distance,» O’Brien concluded.
