By Alexander Brotman

Well over two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States has finally given limited support to Ukraine to use its weapons on Russian soil, but only in the immediate vicinity of Kharkiv. The ability for Ukraine to strike military targets inside Russian territory with US- and Western-supplied weapons is a logical next step in the course of the war. At present, Russia is making more territorial gains in the north and east around Kharkiv; the political calendar in the West is looking less favorable toward Ukraine, and pressure will continue to build for a negotiated settlement. Given this operating environment, a green light from Washington for striking targets deep inside Russia, not just across the border, would provide Ukraine with significant leverage and a morale boost. However, long-range strikes are still deemed too escalatory by the U.S. and Germany, but notably not by France, previously one of Ukraine’s most cautious supporters, which in the early phase of the war was worried about ‘humiliating’ Russia.

So far, the UK, Finland, Sweden, Poland, the Baltic states, and others have given Kyiv approval to use their weapons to strike inside Russia, with the Dutch........

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