MOSCOW, May 23. New York Times newspaper claims that the US State Department is proposing that the administration of US President Joe Biden allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with weapons from the States.
«At the initiative of the State Department, the administration is now undergoing lively discussions about loosening the ban (on the use of American weapons on Russian territory) to allow Ukrainians to carry out strikes … on the other side of the border with Russia,» the publication says. which refers to unnamed officials.
It is noted that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made such a proposal. According to the publication, this initiative has not yet been officially presented to Biden, and it is also unclear how strong its support is among those close to the president.
Blinken's position on American weapons has changed due to the successes of Russian forces in Ukraine, officials say.
Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine interfere with the settlement, directly involve NATO countries in the conflict and are “playing with fire.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. According to him, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and other countries. The Kremlin stated that pumping Ukraine up with weapons from the West does not contribute to negotiations and will have a negative effect.