Pentagon: Ukraine Can Use US Weapons Only Within Its Territory

Written by Camilla Jessen

May.17 - 2024 8:12 AM CET

The Pentagon has stated that Ukraine can use weapons from the US only within its own territory.

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The Pentagon has announced that Ukraine is permitted to use weapons provided by the United States only within its own territory.

This position was confirmed by Sabrina Singh, the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, during a briefing reported by European Truth.

Responding to questions about whether the U.S. has changed its policy following the recent Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, Singh stated, "We have not changed our position. We believe that the equipment and capabilities provided to Ukraine, which other countries also supply, should be used to reclaim Ukrainian sovereign territory."

She added that the U.S. had made its requests in this regard "quite public."

Singh noted that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin regularly discusses with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov the optimal use of the provided resources, emphasizing that their application should be confined to Ukrainian territory.

U.S. and Allies' Positions on Weapon Use

During his visit to Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the issue of Ukraine's use of weapons from the U.S., stating that the American side does not authorize the use of American weapons for attacks on the Russian Federation.

However, unlike previous statements from the White House, he did not oppose such strikes in principle.

In contrast, other Western allies have taken slightly different approaches.

In early May, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated during his visit to Kyiv that Ukraine has the right to use weapons supplied by London to strike targets within Russia.

Baiba Braje, Latvia's newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, mentioned that Ukraine has received Western weapons from some partners with explicit permission to strike on Russian territory, though she did not specify which countries these were.