Pentagon Confirms Allowing Ukraine to Use U.S. Weapons to Strike Russia

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it allows Ukrainian forces to use long-range missiles provided by Washington to strike targets within Russian territory, considering it Ukraine's "right to self-defense." Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder stated during a press conference today, "The purpose of this policy is to provide the capability to respond to fire... When Russian forces fire across the border, Ukraine can respond to those ground forces using munitions provided by the United States." Earlier today, Politico reported that Washington has permitted Kyiv to use Western weapons to target any Russian forces "attacking across the border," not just the Russian troops currently advancing in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine. Last Tuesday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told PBS, "The agreement with Ukraine regarding the use of U.S. weapons against Russia extends to any place where Russian forces cross the border from the Russian side to the Ukrainian side in an attempt to seize additional Ukrainian territory."