Kremlin: NATO Weapons To Be Hit In Any Country From Where Russia May Be Attacked
Predictably, the Kremlin is fuming at widespread reports that the Biden administration has made a U-turn on its policy which previously prohibited Ukraine from attack Russian soil with US-supplied weaponry.
Former Russian president and current Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has warned that Russian forces could strike back from any point where attacks are launched, including on "NATO specialists" advising Ukraine forces.
"NATO countries that have approved strikes with their weapons on Russian territory should be aware that their equipment and specialists will be destroyed not only in Ukraine, but also at any point from where Russian territory is attacked," he said on Telegram, according to TASS, also noting that "the participation of NATO specialists could be seen as a casus belli."
"All their military equipment and specialists fighting against us will be destroyed both on the territory of former Ukraine and on the territory of other countries, should strikes be carried out from there against Russian territory," Medvedev added in the warning.
He said that contrary to much of the West's attempts to obfuscate the reality, Ukraine's long-rage missile systems are actually "directly operated by servicemen from NATO countries." He said this is tantamount to these countries' direct participation in the war.
Biden Gives Ukraine Permission To Strike Inside Russia With US Weapons
The step marks a significant escalation in the proxy war and risks provoking a major Russian response
The Biden administration has given Ukraine permission to use US-provided weapons to hit targets inside Russian territory, POLITICO reported Thursday, a step that marks a significant escalation of the proxy war.
US officials said Ukraine will be able to use US weapons to shoot down Russian missiles inside Russia that are fired toward Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. They will also be able to hit Russian military units that are just over the border in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast.
The US officials insisted Ukraine would not be able to use US-provided missiles for attacks on civilian infrastructure or for long-range attacks on military targets that are deep inside Russia.
“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” a US official told POLITICO. The official insisted the US still would not support long-range strikes on Russian territory.
Ukraine needs support from the US for targeting when it fires US-provided missiles, which means the US will now be directly supporting strikes inside Russia. The escalation risks provoking a major response from Russia, as Moscow recently warned the UK that it would target British military sites in Ukraine and “beyond” if British missiles were used in strikes on Russian territory. Over the past year, both US and British missiles have been used to target Crimea.
The news comes a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted that the US was preparing to change the policy, saying the US will “adapt and adjust” when asked if Urkaine could strike Russian territory with US weapons.
The New York Times previously reported that the restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US weapons were put in place as part of President Biden’s plans to “avoid World War III.” But throughout the war, the US and other NATO countries have taken escalations they previously ruled out due to fear of provoking Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any NATO countries that let Ukraine strike Russia with their weapons would face “major consequences.”
https://news.antiwar.com/2024/05/30/biden-gives-ukraine-permission-to-strike-inside-russia-with-us-weapons/