Biden approaching ban lift on Ukraine strikes on Russia with American weapons – NYT

President Joe Biden is approaching a change in position to authorise Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American weaponry.

The New York Times writes that after months of calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to lift restrictions, the White House has begun a formal – and seemingly rapid – reassessment of whether such a risk is worth taking. 

Some of Biden's advisers say they consider a change in his position inevitable. 

However, as the publication points out, if the US president does change his stance, permission to strike Russia will be tied to strict limitations on the use of American weapons provided to the Ukrainians. 

The NYT suggests that strikes employing the US-made weapons would be restricted to military targets within Russia's borders, from where occupying forces attack Ukraine. 

It is also stated that Biden is likely to maintain a prohibition on the use of American weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory or against critical infrastructure. 

American officials, speaking anonymously, say that if Biden changes his position, he is unlikely to announce it. Instead, American artillery shells and missiles "will just start landing on Russian military targets."

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted that the Biden administration may be open to allowing Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg asked that the allies review the constraints on Ukraine's ban on using Western weaponry against the Russian Federation in the midst of border fighting in Kharkiv Oblast.