After his visit to Kyiv, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calls on President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to strike the territory of the Russian Federation with American weapons.
Blinken is in favour of allowing Ukraine to hit Russia's targets with American weapons
As noted, at the initiative of the State Department, active debates are currently underway in Joe Biden's administration about allowing Ukrainians to strike missile and artillery launchers located directly under the border with Russia.
Blinken's proposal, which he presented after a visit to Kyiv last week, is still in the formative stage. The publication writes that it is currently unclear how many of his colleagues from Biden's closest circle signed up for it. According to officials, the document has not yet been formally presented to the president, who is traditionally the most cautious.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller declined to comment on internal discussions about Ukrainian politics, including Blinken's report after his return from Kyiv.
But officials involved in the discussion said Blinken's position had changed as the Russians launched a new offensive. Russian troops placed weapons directly across the border from northeastern Ukraine and aimed them at Kharkiv, knowing that in response the Ukrainians would be able to use only non-American drones and other types of weapons to strike, the publication writes.
The publication reminds that for several months, Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian ships, oil facilities and power plants. Still, it does so mainly with the help of drones in its production, which do not have such power and speed as American weapons.
In addition, the Russians often shoot down Ukrainian drones and missiles or knock them off course, thanks to advanced electronic warfare methods.
Pressure is now mounting on the US to help Ukraine strike military targets on Russian territory, even if Washington wants to maintain its ban on attacking oil refineries and other Russian infrastructure with US-supplied weapons.
The edition said that Great Britain, which usually keeps pace with Washington on military strategy, has quietly lifted its restrictions so that its Storm Shadow winged systems can be used to target Russia more broadly.
Ukraine's strikes on targets on the Russian territory
In recent months, Ukraine has been actively attacking Russian oil refineries, as a result of which the Russian Federation ran out of gasoline. The Financial Times wrote that the US even urged Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, as this could raise global oil prices and provoke attacks on Ukrainian energy in response.
At the same time, Ukraine attacks Russian refineries mainly with the help of its own drones, which do not have the power and speed of American weapons. At the same time, Russian air defenses shoot down Ukrainian drones and missiles more and more often, while improving their electronic warfare techniques.
Meanwhile, Great Britain already allows Ukraine to strike with its weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation. The country's foreign secretary, David Cameron, said this month that Ukraine has the right to use London-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, and it is up to Kyiv to decide whether to do so.
Blinken said at a press conference in Ukraine with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba on May 15 that Washington does not encourage strikes against Russia with American weapons, but "Ukraine must decide for itself what to do." At the same time, officially, the White House's position on this issue remains unchanged.
