Bloomberg reporters recalled that the Biden administration had previously hesitated on many issues, but later agreed.
The United States does not allow Ukraine to attack Russian territory with American weapons, but Kyiv needs such permission to stop the Russian offensive in the eastern regions. However, there are indications that Washington’s position on cross-border strikes using US weapons may change. The Bloomberg news agency reported this in its material.
Russia has launched an offensive in Kharkov, although the capture of the city is unlikely, but the offensive shows the price that Ukraine is paying for the reluctance of the Americans. It also highlights the absurdity of US restrictions preventing Kyiv from fighting Russia on its territory.
Russian forces are unlikely to be sufficient to take the city. Most likely, this attack was aimed at less important but necessary targets, according to the media. In particular, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wants to create a buffer zone to protect his border. As Ukrainian forces hit Russian Belgorod and sent Russian volunteers on a cross-border raid. Putin must stop these attacks.
The dictator wanted to return Kharkov to the range of Russian artillery. Even if he cannot capture the city, he will try to make it uninhabitable.
Russia will direct its main efforts to the east, and not to Kharkov, the publication suggests. The goal is to capture as much of Donbass as possible.
Moscow believes that Ukraine does not have the manpower or firepower to defend itself everywhere. If Ukraine commits limited forces to defend Kharkov, the Defense Forces will be more vulnerable to an attack from the east.
Ukrainian forces are severely lacking in everything from ammunition to small arms, artillery and air defense. The setbacks Ukraine is now suffering are partly at the cost of a six-month delay in American aid.
The situation also exposes internal problems: President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian lawmakers have been slow to mobilize more troops to counter Russian offensives. Ukraine is also in no rush to build complex multi-layered fortresses – the ones Russia has successfully used. Ukrainian forces are now digging in, but doing so late and under fire.
Everyone knows that Russia is preparing to attack Kharkov, but the timing seems to have caught the Ukrainians by surprise, the news agency suggests.
Ukraine cannot use US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to destroy ammunition depots or command posts along the Russian border, nor can it use newly supplied long-range missiles to attack military or logistical targets in Russia. Kyiv apparently cannot use air defenses provided by the US to target Russian aircraft with “glide bombs” to attack the front line around Kharkov, the authors of the material believe.
The media said that “this policy makes no moral sense – and is becoming strategically destructive.” Putin is taking advantage of the fear in the White House by threatening to attack NATO countries “if their weapons are used” in this way.
The publication believes that the threat is dubious, because an attack on NATO countries will radically change this war. It will no longer be a Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which Putin can still win. It will be “a Russia-NATO conflict in which he will definitely lose,” the publication added.
The news agency emphasized that not all Western governments are as suspicious as the American one. In particular, the UK has said it will not prevent Ukraine from using British weapons in cross-border attacks. The media suggests that the United States will still adopt such a policy as an example.
Journalists recalled that Biden’s strategy had previously changed: he repeatedly refused to provide arms to Ukraine, fearing escalation, and then surrendered. In particular, there are now indications that the US position on cross-border strikes may be changing. The media added that Washington should not doubt this decision.
US ban on targeting Russian territory weakens Ukraine’s defense – ISW
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.