The US has not changed its position on Ukraine using American weapons to strike Russian territory, but support among senators to remove this restriction is growing.
The Pentagon said that it has not changed its position regarding Ukraine’s use of US-supplied weapons against targets in Russian territory.
US Department of Defense Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh noted that “the equipment we provide to Ukraine should be used to regain Ukrainian sovereign territory, and it should be used within Ukrainian territory”.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby confirmed that a similar position is held within the Biden administration.
However, American senators differ in their opinions on the use of US weapons in Russian territory, particularly since the recent Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region. Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal does not rule out that strikes on some targets within Russia may be justified. Republican Senator John Cornyn says the ban is misguided, and not providing long-range weapons “gave the Russians an advantage and the opportunity to attack Ukraine, without the Ukrainians being able to stop them.” At the same time, Democrat Senator Tammy Duckworth believes that now is not the right time to lift the ban.