Ukraine Can Strike Russia Using Locally Produced Weapons Without US Permission, Says State Department

The US State Department clarified that Ukraine does not need US approval to strike deep into Russian territory, using domestic produced weapons, said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a briefing on September 30.

“…Ukraine does not need our permission to strike back against Russian targets. They are a sovereign country and can use the weapons that they build on their own, of which are many, if you look at the programs that they have put in place over the last year. And then when you look at the weapons that we have provided to them, we’ve made clear that they can use them to strike back against Russian targets across the border that are launching attacks.”

The US believes Ukraine has sufficient weapons for its defense. Miller said that the US State Department is constantly reviewing “additional tools” that could be provided to Kyiv. He also referenced President Joe Biden’s recent announcement during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the US last week, which included $8 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine. “So Ukraine does have an enormous amount of material to defend itself,” the State Department representative concluded.

Earlier, the US announced a new $375 million military aid package to Ukraine.