US ready to 'adapt and adjust' if Ukraine uses its weapons to attack inside Russia

In a major turn of events, the United States for the first time has signalled that the US might reconsider its stance on allowing Ukraine to use American-provided weapons to strike Russian territory. This marks a potential shift from the previous policy, which prohibited Ukraine from using U.S. weapons like ATACMS missiles for attacks inside Russia.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US adapted and adjusted at every step and will continue to do so as the situation evolves. Clarifying his statement further, he said that “adapt and adjust” indeed implies potential flexibility in supporting Ukrainian strikes within Russia with American-made weapons.  While the US has not explicitly encouraged such actions, Blinken reiterated that Ukraine should make its own decisions on defending itself effectively.

This statement came amid growing calls from Western allies to lift some restrictions on the use of their weapons, especially as Russia ramps up its offensive in eastern Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the US has provided substantial military aid to Ukraine but has insisted on not escalating the conflict by targeting Russian soil with US-made arms.

Several European leaders have called on President Biden to stop imposing those limits. France’s president has also joined the head of NATO Wednesday in pushing for a policy shift that could change the complexion of the war in Ukraine — allowing Kyiv to strike military bases inside Russia with sophisticated long-range weapons provided by Western partners.

The question of whether to allow Ukraine to hit targets on Russian soil with Western-supplied weaponry has been a delicate issue since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

Western leaders have mostly shrunk from taking the step because it runs the risk of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has repeatedly warned that the West’s direct involvement could put the world on a path to nuclear conflict.

With inputs from agencies.