President Biden has authorized lifting restrictions that will allow Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News on Sunday. This move represents a significant change in current US policy Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The easing of restrictions would allow Kiev to take advantage of the Army tactical missile systemor ATACMS, to hit targets in Russia. The move also comes as about 10,000 North Korean troops were sent to Kursk, near Ukraine’s northern border, to help Russian forces retake territory.
The White House National Security Council declined to comment to CBS News.
The U.S. decision could help Ukraine at a time when Russian forces appear to be making gains and could put Kiev in a better negotiating position when and if peace talks take place.
It also comes as Mr Biden is set to leave office and President-elect Trump has pledged to do so limiting US aid to Ukraine and end the war as quickly as possible.
In an interview with Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Kiev would like put an end to the war with Russia next year through ‘diplomatic means’.
He said he is confident the war will end “sooner” than it otherwise would have once Trump becomes president.
“It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens,” Zelenskyy said.
February 2025 would mark the third year of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, with Russian forces gaining ground in recent months.
Zelenskyy and many of his Western supporters have been calling for months for the use of U.S. weapons to hit Russian military targets far from the border, saying the U.S. ban has made it impossible for Ukraine to attempt Russian attacks on its cities and power grids to stop. .
Some Republicans in Congress have urged Biden to relax rules on how Ukraine can use US-supplied weapons.
Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.
