The world is on fire nowadays. And it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.
And now a sudden military announcement put the Pentagon on lockdown.
According to a U.S. official, President Biden has authorized Ukraine to deploy U.S.-supplied weaponry to strike some targets on Russian territory.
“The President recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” a U.S. official said on Thursday.
The official did, however, state that Ukraine will not be permitted to utilize long-range U.S. missiles to strike military targets deep within Russian territory.
The U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile System, for example, has a strike range of 200 miles.
“Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long range strikes inside of Russia has not changed,” stated a U.S. official.
The move represents a shift in long-standing U.S. policy, which has banned Ukraine from utilizing American weaponry to attack Russian troops and military installations on Russian soil.
The ban was imposed in response to the Biden administration’s concerns that American weapons killing Russians in Russia might escalate the conflict.
The shift in approach comes as Russian troops make advances on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
The northeastern Ukrainian city, located barely 30 miles south of Russia’s border with war-torn Ukraine, has recently witnessed some of the most intense fighting of the 27-month conflict.
In recent weeks, the Kremlin has boasted about its military advances in the region, claiming to have conquered towns around Kharkiv as part of a larger drive into the region that would bring it within artillery range of the city.
Russian troops launched their offensive on the region on May 10.
Since then, the U.S. has announced approximately $675 million in military aid for Ukraine, consisting of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and ammunition, Howitzer artillery rounds, High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs), and other “urgently needed” offensive and defensive equipment and ammunition.
According to Politico, U.S. military personnel briefed congressional legislators in early May on the “value” of relaxing limitations on Ukraine’s use of U.S. weapons.
The formal decision to amend the policy was reached only in the “last few days,” according to a U.S. official, in response to Ukraine’s appeal after Russia launched its onslaught on Kharkiv.
Look, the situation is not looking great for Ukraine, but does that mean that we should escalate the war even more?
Are we supposed to give even more money and material, and allow our weapon systems to strike Russian soil?
All this will do is poke the bear more.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
