Getty ImagesU.S. President Joe Biden is facing growing pressure to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to attack Russian territory.
After months of concerns about escalation, some U.S. allies said this week they were open to the possibility.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that this would have “serious consequences”, especially for what he called Europe’s “small countries”.
On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington’s position on the matter would “evaluate” based on changing battlefield conditions. He is currently attending the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Prague, the Czech capital.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said late Wednesday that despite the change in U.S. support for Kyiv, “our policy has not changed at this time.”
Ukraine has been struggling to counter Russia’s offensive in the east of the country, and the city of Kharkiv has been hit by weeks of deadly attacks, often launched from Russian military outposts near the Ukrainian border.
Blinken’s statement during his trip to Europe follows more direct comments from French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week, saying Ukraine should be “allowed” to use Western-supplied weapons to attack military bases on Russian soil – albeit under strict rules It cannot be used as a civilian target.
ReutersMacron has for some time advocated more direct intervention in the war in Ukraine, but other Western leaders also appear to be softening on the idea.
German Chancellor Scholz remains cautious in public, but a Berlin spokesman said that “defensive actions are not limited to our own territory, but also include the territory of the aggressor.”
Last week, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told The Economist that the West should allow Ukraine to defend itself by attacking Russian military bases. “Ukraine has the right to defend itself. This includes striking targets on Russian territory,” he said.
British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said earlier this month that it was up to Ukraine to decide how to use British weapons, while this week Poland’s deputy defense minister said Ukraine could use Polish weapons “in any way they see fit”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said it was “unfair” for Western countries to restrict the use of his weapons, while acknowledging that Ukraine cannot risk the support of its partners.
Russia is angered by the prospect of Western weapons being used to attack targets in Russia.
Vladimir Putin said: “In Europe, especially small countries, they should realize what they are playing with.” He pointed out that many European countries have “small territories” and “dense populations.”
The Russian leader added that even if Ukrainian forces carried out an attack, Western arms suppliers would still be responsible for any attacks in Russia.
Some NATO countries remain nervous about the prospect. On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni said she saw no need to attack Russian military bases and urged the West to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems.
However, Ukraine is thought to have used some Western-supplied weapons to attack Russian territory, although it has done so without much fanfare.
Latvian Foreign Minister Bayba Braze told Ukrainian media that some countries had provided weapons to Ukraine “unconditionally” but “not everything” was said out loud.
Other countries prefer to allow Ukraine to use its weapons on Russian soil.
The United States has supplied Ukraine with thousands of defense weapons, tanks and air defense systems.
Since April, it has also sent its longest-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, with a range of up to 190 miles (300 kilometers).
Ukraine has so far been using drones to attack targets deeper into Russian territory.
There were reports earlier this week that a Ukrainian drone successfully hit an early warning radar near the city of Orsk, about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
