Editor’s note: This story is being updated.
The U.S. has authorized Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory, the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed on Nov. 18 following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“The Biden administration has authorized the use of its weapons up to 300 kilometers inside Russian territory,” he said. “The American administration said no for a long time, and they ended up saying yes.”
Several media outlets reported on Nov. 17 that U.S. President Joe Biden permitted Ukraine to use its ATACMS missiles to strike against targets on Russian soil. According to some reports, this so far concerns only Russian and North Korean forces amassing in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
Kyiv and Washington did not provide a clear statement on whether the authorization to strike deep into Russia with US-made missiles was granted. Borrell was the first official to confirm the move.
Answering the question of why Joe Biden’s administration decided to authorize long-range strikes against Russia now, Borrell said he did not know why the White House made this decision after the presidential election and not before.
Borrell also confirmed that this permit was indeed granted and is spread over a distance of 300 kilometers (187 miles).
“It’s not that much by way of a distance. It’s not a very long distance. It doesn’t go deep into the country, but this is the decision by the administration,” the diplomat said.
“I think it’s reasonable to provide arms, not just to stop the arrows, but also to fight the bowmen,” Borrell added.
The diplomat also highlighted that in the EU, each country makes its own decisions on the use of its weapons by Ukraine.
Biden has been long adamant about not allowing Western-supplied weapons to be used on Russian soil, fearing an escalation. He first eased the restrictions in May to allow Ukraine to use certain weaponry like HIMARS to strike at Russian troops just across the border in the wake of the Kharkiv offensive.
Unnamed U.S. officials, as well as a source familiar with the decision, who spoke to Reuters following the decision, said that Kyiv plans to conduct its first long-range strikes in the coming days.
As the decision came in the last months of Biden’s term in office, it remains unclear whether Trump will uphold the policy after he returns to the White House.
Kateryna Hodunova
