The US military regime has quietly given Ukraine the go-ahead to launch long-range strikes against targets inside Russian territory, The Times reported on Friday, citing inside sources.
The Pentagon has apparently changed its stance on the matter as it has become less concerned that such attacks could escalate the dirty proxy conflict.
Washington DC now reportedly believes such strikes are less likely to trigger a direct clash between Moscow and NATO.
According to a US defense source interviewed by the outlet, the Pentagon is now not saying to Kiev, do not strike the Russians [in Russia or Crimea].
We can’t tell them what to do. It’s up to them how they use their weapons, he said, adding that Washington only demands that Kiev conforms to international law and the Geneva conventions when using US-supplied weapons.
However, the Pentagon has revised the evaluation of threats linked to the Ukraine conflict, particularly on whether providing Kiev with arms might trigger a direct clash between NATO and Russia, the report says.
We’re still using the same escalatory calculations but the fear of escalation has changed since the beginning, a US official told the outlet, arguing that the calculus had changed due to brutality the Ukrainians are being subjected to by the Russians.
Against this backdrop, Pentagon officials are now reportedly seriously considering Ukraine’s requests for long-range weapons that could be used for strikes deep inside Russia. Nothing is off the table, a senior US defense official told The Times.
Earlier this month, Ukraine launched an attack on two Russian air bases in Ryazan and Saratov regions, both several hundred kilometers from Kiev-controlled territory, using a number of “Soviet-made” drones, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
The raid “fatally injured” three service members, with another four being taken to hospital.
On Tuesday, following the attack, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that Washington had neither encouraged nor enabled the Ukrainians to strike inside of Russia.
The report comes as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba claimed that, while Washington and Kiev agree that Ukrainian forces will not use US-supplied weapons to attack most Russian territory, this does not apply to Crimea.
In September, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned the US that, should it provide Kiev with long-range weapons, this would cross a red line and make America a direct party to the conflict.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point News 2022.
Putin invaded Ukraine to protect Russian speaking people there, yet most of the civilians he has had killed and homes destroyed are Russian speaking Ukrainians Can you pro war supporters not see the hypocrisy in that? So many anti Semitic comments here shows that pro war Russians are the fascists, not Ukrainians. This is just Putin’s wet dream imperialism that is making cannon fodder out of poor.
Close but no cigar?
I green light attacks on US and UK main land . They need a heavy dose of reality .
I green light that you are an idiot. It would seem many in Russia need the reality check. They somehow seem to believe they would not be affected by a nuclear strike??? These idiots think they will live? Insanity.
Go educate yourself instead of making a fool out of yourself in front of the audience?
Ukraine has already bombed Russia territory multiple times without starting WWIII…..?
WWIII has already started.