US does not believe permission to strike targets in Russia will escalate war – State Department

The US Department of State has stated that granting permission for Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory will not escalate the level of the war.

Asked whether Washington believed that its permission for Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American weapons escalated the situation, the State Department spokesperson replied: "We do not." 

"We will continue to take appropriate actions to respond to what President Putin has done, to allow Ukraine to defend itself. But again, it’s Russia that’s the aggressor here," Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the US Department of State, said at a briefing.

He emphasised that it is Russia that is moving its military equipment to the border and using it to attack civilian targets, so the US believes that Ukraine should have the ability to defend itself. 

"I would say it is Vladimir Putin that has continually escalated this conflict over and over again, including by these latest actions. And we think this [providing Ukraine with the permission to use US-supplied weapons – ed.] is an appropriate response," Miller stated.

Last week, Ukraine confirmed that it had received a limited authorisation to strike targets in Russia with US-supplied weapons.

The White House clarified that the US authorisation for strikes with US-supplied weapons applies to the border areas of not only Kharkiv Oblast but also Sumy Oblast. At the same time, the authorisation does not apply to long-range ATACMS missiles.