The Ukrainian authorities are intensifying efforts to persuade the United States to lift the ban on using American-made weapons for strikes on Russian territory, citing Politico.
This week, a group of Ukrainian parliamentarians is in Washington to enlist the help of Congress in addressing this issue, which they believe restricts Ukraine’s military actions as Kyiv seeks to target Russian military depots located abroad.
The administration of US President Joe Biden, while sending long-range weapons to Ukraine, has stated that they cannot be used for strikes 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, head of the Servant of the People faction.
Russia is well aware of this restriction and has managed to station at least 30,000 troops and equipment at the border without fear of being hit by the long-range tactical missile systems supplied by the U.S., which Ukraine has used to devastating effect against Russian forces within Ukrainian territory.
Two American officials confirmed that the Biden administration's policy has not changed.
"The assistance is for the defense and not for offensive operations in Russian territory," said one of the officials, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The Russian offensive is exploiting Ukraine’s manpower issues and the lack of adequately prepared defensive structures near Kharkiv, putting the city with its million-strong population at risk and potentially giving Russia a new critical foothold in the country.
Russian offensive on Kharkiv region
Russian forces have been attempting to penetrate deeper into the Kharkiv region since May 10. They have managed to capture several settlements, but Ukrainian forces are working to stabilize the situation.
Ukrainian forces have halted the enemy's advance, holding them at their current positions. The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, emphasized the trend towards stabilization.