Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
As tensions between Washington, Kyiv and Moscow intensify, confusion has erupted over a report suggesting the US secretly lifted restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range Western missiles.
A Wall Street Journal report late Wednesday claimed that the US had quietly authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russian territory. The change, it said, would let Kyiv target energy, military and industrial sites far beyond the front line.
British-made Storm Shadow missiles, capable of striking over 180 miles, were said to have already been used to hit a rocket-fuel plant in Bryansk, causing serious damage.
According to US officials quoted by the paper, General Alexus Grynkewich, the top American commander in Europe and NATO’s military chief, would have the sole authority to approve such strikes. Washington would still maintain partial control through its targeting data systems.
White House confirmation
A White House official appeared to confirm the shift, telling the Journal: “This is a war that never would have happened had President Trump been President, something President Putin himself acknowledged, and President Trump is trying to get it stopped. The President also negotiated a historic agreement to allow NATO allies to purchase American-made weapons.”
However, the administration’s public stance remains unclear, with no formal announcement from the Pentagon or the State Department. The report suggested the decision was made quietly to avoid inflaming tensions with Moscow.
Trump hits back
Trump reacted within hours, slamming the Wall Street Journal report as false. “The Wall Street Journal story on the U.S.A.’s approval of Ukraine being allowed to use long range missiles deep into Russia is FAKE NEWS!” he wrote on Truth Social.
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“The U.S. has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them!” he added. The comment effectively distanced his administration from any direct involvement in Kyiv’s strikes.
His denial came after he cancelled a planned peace meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest, dismissing it as a “wasted meeting” following Russia’s refusal to discuss a ceasefire.
Tense diplomacy
Ukraine had recently sought permission to buy American long-range Tomahawk missiles, but the request was rejected last week. Following tense talks at the White House, President Zelensky reportedly left without any new commitments.
Despite that, Washington is preparing to increase economic pressure on Moscow. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that new sanctions targeting Russia’s largest energy firms, Rosneft and Lukoil, would be introduced within days.
In a statement, Bessent said: “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire. Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine.”
He added that further measures could follow if necessary to “support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war.”
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
