The United States and the United Kingdom have reportedly signaled their willingness to allow Ukraine to escalate its long-range weapons attacks against targets deep inside Russia.
The reports come after the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, hinted during a visit to Ukraine that restrictions on the use of US-supplied weapons may change.
Blinken, accompanied by his British counterpart David Lammy on a quick visit to Kiev, pointed out on Wednesday that US support for Ukraine continues to “evolve” and referred to the possibility of lifting restrictions on the use of long-range weapons on Russian territory.
– Among other things, we discussed long-range fires, but a number of other things as well. And as I said at the outset, I’m going to take that discussion back to Washington to brief the president on what I heard, Blinken said to reporters after the meeting.
Currently, according to Washington, US military assistance to Ukraine has included a cap on the use of certain weapons, in order to “avoid a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia”.
Now there is speculation that the US is ready to relax these restrictions and allow Ukraine to use US weapons for attacks well inside the Russian border.
I am in Kyiv today with @SecBlinken to reiterate our united and ironclad support for Ukraine.
We must stand up to Vladimir Putin’s imperialism.
Our collective security depends on it. pic.twitter.com/EQTMWDC1rH
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) September 11, 2024
UK pushes for escalation
According to reports from sources on both sides, the United States’ closest ally, the United Kingdom, has already contributed to this change by providing Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine – advanced weapons systems capable of reaching targets deep inside Russian territory.
Storm Shadow missiles have been used against a number of Russian targets for some time, including an attack on an ammunition depot in Luhansk in June and several strikes on the Crimean peninsula.
The UK Ministry of Defense has not officially commented on all these attacks, but has previously said that it “supports Ukraine’s right to defend itself by any means necessary”.
The recent escalation in the Ukrainian conflict has led to concerns that the conflict could spread further. Russia has responded with warnings that such developments could lead to more serious consequences.
.@SecBlinken warns Ukraine: Your path to NATO membership is “irreversible” pic.twitter.com/jjqC40aAju
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 11, 2024
Setbacks in the Kursk region
President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that any use of long-range weapons against Russian cities will be met with “strong measures”.
The seemingly growing US and UK support for long-range attacks against Russia comes as Ukraine seeks to regain territory lost in the war and hopes to strengthen its newly won bridgehead in the Kursk region.
However, reliable sources claim that Russian forces have gradually started to push back the Ukrainian army in Kursk and have also retaken some settlements. This is while Russian troops are only a mile, and barely that, from the strategically important railway and maintenance hub of Pokrovsk.
#UkraineRussiaWar
The Russian ground troops have recaptured around 10 villages in the counterattacks in Kursk in recent days. The counteroffensive is underway according to current information from the east. There are reports that speak of further counterattacks in the direction… pic.twitter.com/EclncNbt6R— Military Summary (@MilitarySummary) September 11, 2024
Wednesday’s joint visit to Kiev by Blinken and Lammy would not have taken place if there had not been a pro-Ukraine decision on the regime’s desire to strike deep into Russia, the sources behind the data tell The Guardian.
If accurate, the information suggests a potential intensification of an already challenging conflict. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has recently emphasized the need for more robust resources from the West, citing Russia’s greater capacity to reach Ukrainian targets as a concern.
