The United States told Ukraine that it can use American weapons to hit any Russian border forces that are attacking from their side of the border, not just in the Kharkiv region.
The was reported by Politico, citing US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and two unnamed US officials.
This adjustment in messaging comes after the White House permitted Ukraine to use American weapons for strikes on Russian territory with restrictions—the weapons could only be used in the border region with Kharkiv, where Russia started a new wave of offensive actions in May.
“It extends to anywhere that Russian forces are coming across the border from the Russian side to the Ukrainian side to try to take additional Ukrainian territory,” the National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told PBS on Tuesday.
Sullivan indicated that if Russia moves on to the northeastern city of Sumy, near the Russian border, the policy allowing strikes would apply there as well.
“This is not about geography. It’s about common sense. If Russia is attacking or about to attack from its territory into Ukraine, it only makes sense to allow Ukraine to hit back against the forces that are hitting it from across the border,” Sullivan added.
Two US officials, speaking anonymously, affirmed that permitting Ukraine to strike inside Russia in response to cross-border fire from any location is not a policy change since the decision regarding Kharkiv.
The policy of prohibiting long-range strikes inside Russia "has not changed," the official emphasized.
However, Sullivan's language is markedly different from what US officials said in May when the new policy was detailed.
