The US government's ban on striking military targets in Russia with provided weapons undermines the ability of Ukrainian soldiers to defend themselves, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) concluded.
Ukrainian army do not have the ability to fully defend themselves against the Russians
The US Helsinki Commission officially drew attention to the fact that Washington is obliged to allow Ukraine to strike military facilities in the border regions of Russia, especially considering the fact that the enemy is again trying to capture Kharkiv region.
States should not only allow, but also encourage Ukrainian forces to strike Russian forces that are firing and stationed in Russia's border areas, the group's representatives emphasised.
In addition, the experts urged the White House not to forget that Ukraine should decide for itself how to conduct this war.
Why the US ban is so critical
The ISW draws attention to the fact that Washington's restrictions on Ukraine's ability to strike military targets in Russia have created a haven in Russia's border regions.
It is from there that enemy aviation has the opportunity to strike with aerial bombs and missiles at the positions of the Ukrainian soldiers and populated areas, and where Russian troops and equipment can freely gather before the start of hostilities.
This US policy seriously undermines Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian offensive operations in the north of the Kharkiv region, the ISW team notes.
By the way, on May 15, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were able to "partially stabilise" the situation in the Kharkiv region, where the Russian army is trying to advance.
Kharkiv Oblast — areas near the border, the city of Vovchansk — our protective actions continue. During this day, our defence and security forces — all units involved — managed to partially stabilise the situation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi
President of Ukraine
