Pentagon Secretly Allowed Ukraine to Attack Objects in Russian Territory

Although the United States has publicly stated that it "does not encourage Ukraine to strike beyond its borders," the administration has reportedly reassessed its position. According to The Times, it is now more likely that Kyiv will receive longer-range striking weapons to hit deeper into Russia.

An anonymous source revealed, "The fear of escalation has changed. Now everything is different. The calculus of the war has shifted due to the suffering and atrocities that Ukrainians are enduring at the hands of the Russians."

There is a reduced concern among U.S. military planners that Russia would launch a tactical nuclear strike or attack a NATO member bordering Russia. A U.S. military source told The Times, "We are not telling Kyiv, 'Don’t hit the Russians (in Russia or Crimea). We cannot tell them what to do. They decide how to use the weapons. However, when they use our supplied weapons, the only thing we insist on is that the Ukrainian military act in accordance with the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions."

The Times also suggested that the U.S. may provide Ukraine with high-tech long-range weapons, including missile systems and armed drones, to which a senior official at the Department of Defense responded, "Nothing is off the table."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles would mean the U.S. has "crossed a line." Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, told reporters, "If Washington decides to supply Kyiv with long-range missiles, it will cross a red line and become a direct party to the conflict."