Zelenskyy Says It’s ‘Wrong’ That US, West Won’t Let Ukraine Use Weapons To Strike Deep Inside Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration Friday that the U.S. and European nations are limiting Ukraine’s strike capabilities.

The Biden administration and European governments have thrown their support behind Ukraine’s war and have allowed the country to strike within limited areas in Russia, but have been wary about letting Kyiv use Western-provided weapons to hit targets deep inside Russian territory. Ukraine has long requested the ability to do so and Zelenskyy made it clear on Friday Kyiv’s displeasure with the U.S. and the West’s hesitation.

“We think it is wrong that there are such steps,” Zelenskyy said from a meeting at a U.S. military base in Germany, sitting alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman C.Q. Brown, according to The Washington Post. “We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace.”

Kyiv feels that if it can use long-range weapons to hit targets further inside Russian territory, it would give Ukraine more leverage in the war and possible ceasefire negotiations. But the U.S. and the West have said that such a move wouldn’t give Ukraine any tangible strategic advantage, and could risk escalating the war and further pull the U.S. into the conflict.

White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that the U.S. has not yet changed its view the matter, despite the increasingly loud calls from Kyiv.