May 15, 2024
Ukraine “has to make decisions for itself” when deciding how to use U.S.-supplied weapons that could strike targets inside Russian territory, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on May 15.
Speaking in Kyiv during a press conference, Blinken was asked about recent Ukrainian complaints that a Washington ban meant Ukraine was unable to attack Russian forces as they were building up before crossing the border into Kharkiv Oblast.
“We’ve not enabled or encouraged strikes outside of Ukraine, but ultimately, Ukraine has to make decisions for itself about how it’s going to conduct this war,” he said.
The U.S. has supplied Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles, which Ukraine reportedly used to strike Russian targets in occupied Crimea. Washington’s restrictions, as described by Ukrainian officials, would prevent the replication of such an attack inside Russian territory.
“The main problem right now is the White House policy to limit our capability” to strike military targets inside Russia, said David Arakhamia, the parliamentary leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, the Servant of the People.
“We saw their military sitting one or two kilometers from the border inside Russia, and there was nothing we could do about that,” Oleksandra Ustinova, the head of the Ukraine’s parliamentary commission on arms and ammunition, told Politico.
“(T)hey (Russia) know there is a restriction for Ukrainians to shoot at the Russian territory. And we saw all of their military equipment sitting one or two kilometers from the border (near Kharkiv), and there was nothing we could do,” Ustinova noted.
Blinken also said Washington will provide Ukraine with an additional $2 billion in foreign military financing.
“We’ve not enabled or encouraged strikes outside of Ukraine, but ultimately, Ukraine has to make decisions for itself about how it’s going to conduct this war,”
Translation of this political doublespeak; We’ve always discouraged Ukraine from using our weapons in russia, but we now see the idiocy of this and that it’s making everything worse, and we now realize our mistake. Of course, we can’t admit this, and so now we will claim that it’s always been up to Ukraine to do so or not.
Never mind this political baloney, I am glad that Biden has finally decided to do the right thing. And, guess what Ukraine will decide to do? You will see, people, after crossing yet another “red line”, we will not go under in a nuclear holocaust. Instead, we will see a new phase of the war soon.
I think it is the absolute opposite.
Not that I would be this diplomatic, I would just say: do whatever you want, these are your weapons now.
But he basically giving the green light to use U.S. made weapons on ruZZian territory, exactly what the Ukrainians wanted.
This can be really significant if this includes ATACMS.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what political rhetoric he uses, the important thing is that, in this regard, the light is finally green.
Ypu may think so until the White House refuses to deliver more long range weapons after their first usage in a strike on Russian soil. This wishy washy statement wasn’t exactly a green light, more like a yelliw one. ☹
It reflects the essence of the Biden administration, which is also yellow, Mr. Gray. In America, being yellow means being a coward.
I vaguely recall Blinken, or one of the others, saying some number of months ago that it was up to Ukraine to decide how to use the weapons. Maybe they rolled that back, but now he’s saying this for the second time I believe.
Ok, good point, Duck. Because Ukraine didn’t use US weapons against Russia after that statement, and this proves it wasn’t a green light at all! Quite obviously, Blinken only said that because of public pressure, but there still is red tape in place behind the scenes. ☹
If Ukraine don’t receive any weapons that can strike deep into russian territory, Blinken can say what he likes.
This time around is the only one I remember him saying that.
Its been said before, I’m quite certain. It may have been Biden that said it at a press conference of sorts. And I may have not taken it seriously, for obvious reasons. Possibly we shouldn’t take this latest statement seriously either, as others have pointed out. US policy can change when the wind blows.
I fully agree. Unfortunately, the marshmallow administration is quite unstable and can be squished, squeezed, and distorted any which way you want.
Officially. While preventing Ukraine from doing so…
That’s how this sound, Mike, indeed. 😠
No encouragement to strike inside Russia, because the White House thinks that would be unfair towards Putin? Boohoohoo, call a Whahahahambulance for Mr. Blinken! Looks like he had a nervous breakdown when imagining strikes against the evil empire! 😈
It’s never a bad thing to remember that the Biden administration is one of the worst one in our history.