US signals support for extended Ukrainian strikes if Russia expands front line

The US will permit Ukraine to strike at longer distances should Russia attempt to expand the front line, according to Jim O’Brien, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. This statement was made during a hearing held this week by the Foreign Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives.

O’Brien emphasised that the US’s priority has been supplying weapons to Ukraine and deploying them in critical areas. “Initially, this was focused on the area near Kharkiv, where Russia was actively attacking,” he said. “Now, as Jake Sullivan mentioned last week, if the Russian Federation tries to extend the front line, Ukraine will be allowed to target more distant objectives.”

He further noted that Ukraine’s successful destruction of Russian facilities near the border has been crucial in diminishing Russia’s ability to advance.