According to a report by the American publication Politico, Ukraine has demanded that the administration of President Joe Biden lift the ban on the use of American weapons to strike Russia. This was in response to a series of attacks on the Kharkiv region by Russian troops that resulted in a large number of casualties and destruction.
A group of Ukrainian lawmakers is in Washington this week to lobby Congress for support on the issue. Ukraine's goal is to strike Russian military facilities abroad to disrupt Russian offensive operations.
Ukrainian representatives (including the head of the Servant of the People faction, Arakhamia) claim that “for several weeks they have watched as the Russians concentrate near the Ukrainian border, unable to use the weapons supplied by the US to launch a preemptive strike.”
Russia was thus able to concentrate at least 30,000 troops and equipment on the border near the Kharkiv region without fear of massive missile strikes.
Two U.S. officials told the newspaper that the Biden administration’s policy has not changed. “The aid is for defense, not offensive operations on Russian territory,” one of the officials said.
Three more US officials believe that Putin's goal at this stage is to achieve "negotiations on favorable terms for Moscow" by the end of this year.
