President Biden okays strike into Russian territory to defend against attacks.
- Biden lifted restrictions on Ukraine using American weapons against Russia
- The change allows Ukraine to hit back at Russian forces attacking from across the border
- It only applies to the area around Kharkiv, which Russia is heavily bombarding
- Ukraine was previously limited to using U.S. weapons only for defense inside its borders
Has the war in Ukraine taken a major new turn? Read on to find out.
Easy-to-Understand Overview
The situation in Ukraine’s war with Russia has seen an important shift. Up until now, Ukraine could only use weapons supplied by the United States for defensive purposes inside its own borders. However, President Joe Biden has changed that policy in a limited way.
Under the new rules from Biden, Ukraine is now permitted to strike against Russian forces using American-supplied weapons even if those Russian troops and weapons are operating just across the border inside Russia itself.
However, this exception only applies to the area around the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, which has been under intense bombardment by Russian artillery and missiles. So Ukraine can now hit back at the Russian firepower coming from Russian territory near Kharkiv, but it still cannot use U.S. weapons to attack other parts of Russia farther away.
Slowing Russian Advances Around Kharkiv
Over the past few weeks, Russian forces have been trying to advance and capture more territory around Kharkiv, which is Ukraine’s second-largest city. But Ukraine’s military has put up fierce resistance, slowing the Russians’ progress to a crawl through hit-and-run attacks.
Despite sending waves of reinforcements, Russia has not been able to fully surround and cut off Kharkiv from the north and east. However, relentless Russian missile and artillery strikes from inside Russia’s borders have devastated parts of Kharkiv and nearby towns.
Biden’s decision will finally allow Ukraine’s troops in the region to directly engage and strike at those Russian artillery and missile units on the other side of the border. That could help stop the Russian bombardment and protect civilians in Kharkiv.
Why the Policy Changed Now
For months, the Biden administration had held firm that Ukraine could only use American weapons for defensive actions inside its internationally recognized borders. U.S. officials were worried about Russia portraying the war as an escalating “proxy war” with NATO nations.
However, allied European leaders like those in Britain and France had been urging Biden to loosen the restrictions so Ukraine could better repel Russia’s invasion. And so far, Russia has not undertaken major new escalations when other weaponry like longer-range missiles was provided to Ukraine.
Alex Ward, a national security reporter, said Biden’s decision was “a marked escalation” but a limited one focused on defending Kharkiv. He explained the U.S. calculates that it can allow this while still arguing to Russia, “We’re not calling on Ukrainians to strike your whole country.”
How Will Russia React?
So, how might Russia respond to this policy change by Biden? In the past, Russian officials have warned that providing more U.S. weaponry to Ukraine or allowing it to be used aggressively against Russian forces would dramatically escalate the conflict.
Russia has reminded the world that it is a nuclear-armed power that could potentially use those ultimate weapons if threatened enough. However, Ward pointed out Russia has issued similar warnings before about previous weapons transfers to Ukraine without really escalating beyond its current invasion efforts so far.
And while extremely dangerous, the Biden team seems to be calculating that Russia “doesn’t necessarily want to escalate so much” over this specific, localized policy adjustment. Of course, no one can predict how an unpredictable Vladimir Putin might react next.
Key Takeaways
- Ukraine can now use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike at Russian military targets across the border near Kharkiv
- But this exception to previous rules does not allow attacks deeper inside Russia’s territory
- The policy shift aims to help Ukraine defend Kharkiv from intensifying Russian bombardment
- Russia had warned providing more U.S. weapons could risk escalation but has not followed through so far
Only time will tell how this new policy plays out. But the big question is: will Putin see this measured change by Biden as an escalation demanding a forceful response?
