Biden Assures: U.S. Weapons Won’t Be Used by Ukraine to Attack Russia

President Joe Biden emphasized on Thursday that U.S. weapons would not be used to target Moscow, even though he has authorized Ukraine to strike certain targets within Russia using Western-supplied arms. This authorization comes as a response to the escalating Russian offensive in northeastern Ukraine.

The United States, along with several other countries, has permitted Kyiv to utilize Western-donated weapons to carry out strikes inside Russian territory.

Biden explained in an interview with ABC News, saying:

“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, excerpts of which were released on Thursday. We’re not authorizing strikes 200 miles into Russia, and we’re not authorizing strikes on Moscow, on the Kremlin.”

This shift in the U.S. stance was influenced by the continuous Russian bombardment of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, which lies near the Russian border.

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U.S. officials stated last week that Washington had partially lifted its restrictions to allow Ukraine to defend its eastern Kharkiv region more effectively. This decision was prompted by Russia’s relentless attacks on the city.

In addition to the U.S., Germany has also granted Ukraine permission to use German-delivered weapons against targets within Russia.

Biden reiterated that the U.S.-supplied weapons are intended for use “just across the border, from where they’re receiving significant fire from conventional weapons used by the Russians to go into Ukraine to kill Ukrainians.”

President Biden made these comments while in France, where he was attending events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. His statements underscore the delicate balance the U.S. is trying to maintain between supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts and avoiding a broader escalation of the conflict.