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The White House is finalizing plans to ease restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied weapons for strikes on Russian territory.
According to Politico, which cites a Western official and two others familiar with the discussions, the talks have taken place among a small group of officials within the White House.
While details of the plan are still being finalized, officials in Washington, London, and Kyiv have recently been discussing expanding the areas inside Russia where Ukraine may carry out strikes using American and British-made weapons.
They are also discussing how to prevent further cross-border attacks from Russia, including the possibility that the U.S. will allow Ukraine to use British long-range missiles containing American components to strike Russian territory.
These ongoing negotiations represent a significant shift from the tone of discussions earlier this summer. It suggests that the Biden administration may be more willing to finally agree to Kyiv’s request to allow Ukrainian forces to defend themselves more aggressively inside Russia.
For months, U.S. officials resisted calls from Ukraine and European countries to lift restrictions on the use of U.S.-supplied long-range weapons against Russian territory.
When asked on Tuesday if the administration would lift restrictions on long-range weapons, President Biden told reporters, “We’re working on it.”
The discussions have gained urgency in recent days, especially after the U.S. confirmed that Iran successfully delivered ballistic missiles to Russia.
