The spokesman of the President Serhiy Nikiforov confirmed that the United States has authorized the use of American weapons to strike Russia — but there are limitations.
He said this in a comment to The Guardian.
Ukraine can fire American weapons only in response and only in the areas bordering the Kharkiv region, from where the Russian occupiers are launching a new offensive.
The decision of the States concerns the Himars reactive artillery system, which can be used to hit Russian military concentrations and their control centers.
"This will significantly strengthen our ability to resist Russiaʼs attempts to cross the border en masse," Nikiforov emphasized.
However, the White House insisted that Ukraine has no right to use the long-range Atacms system for strikes on Russian territory.
On May 30, it became known that the administration of US President Joe Biden secretly allowed Ukraine to use American weapons on Russian territory, but with restrictions. Earlier, The Washington Post wrote with reference to sources that there are no restrictions for Ukraine on the use of American air defense equipment to shoot down Russian missiles or fighter jets over the territory of Russia, "if they pose a threat to Ukraine."
Financial Times journalist Christopher Miller added that Ukraine applied for permission to stop the offensive on Kharkiv Oblast on May 13. Two days later, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan explained to Joe Biden why the clearance should be granted, and he agreed, asking his team to work out all the details. State Secretary Anthony Blinken also started promoting this idea after returning from Kyiv on May 17. A few days ago, the decision was approved by the US leader, and it entered into force on Thursday, May 30.
- On May 3, the head of the British Foreign Ministry David Cameron said that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have the right to strike Russian targets with weapons provided by London, and later Sweden, Poland and Finland made similar statements. The Minister of Defense of the Netherlands and the President of France also spoke in favor of easing restrictions for the Armed Forces. And the NATO Parliamentary Assembly called on the governments of the Alliance countries to allow Ukraine to strike military targets on the territory of Russia with Western weapons. In Denmark, it was noted that they will allow Ukraine to attack military targets in the Russian Federation with Danish F-16 fighters. Norway also does not mind Ukraine hitting Russia with its weapons.