The United States should allow Ukrainian forces to use American weapons to carry out strikes against military targets in Russia and occupied Crimea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C. on July 9.
Zelensky delivered remarks on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington, a three-day conference celebrating the Alliance's 75th anniversary and focusing heavily on Russia's war against Ukraine.
"Imagine how much we can achieve when all restrictions are lifted," Zelensky said.
U.S. policy currently prevents Ukrainian troops from using ATACMS and other long-range weapons from the U.S. to strike targets deep within Russian territory.
When Russia launched its intensified offensive against Kharkiv Oblast in May, the U.S. granted Ukraine provisional permission to use American weapons to strike Russian targets near the region's border.
Zelensky praised the decision in his speech, saying it allowed Ukrainian forces to beat back the Russian offensive and better protect cities in Kharkiv Oblast from relentless aerial attacks.
"Similarly now we can protect our cities from Russian guided bombs if American leadership makes a step forward and allows us to destroy Russian military aircraft on their bases," he said.
The president said such a decision would produce "an instant result."
Zelensky went on to say that long-range strikes with U.S. weapons could advance Ukraine's counteroffensive in Russian-occupied territories.
"And we can significantly limit Russian actions in southern Ukraine and push the occupier out of there if American leadership assists us with the necessary deep-strike capabalities against the Russian military and logistics in our Ukrainian Crimea," he said.
The address came a day after Russia launched a deadly mass missile attack on July 8 that killed over 200 civilians and targeted a children's hospital.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. would not change its policy on Ukrainian strikes within Russia in light of the attack.
Martin Fornusek
