NATO boss takes apparent swipe at Biden, argues to end restrictions on US weapons for Russian targets

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has suggested that Ukraine should be allowed to use American weapons to strike targets within Russian territory, marking a potential departure from the Biden administration's current policy.

In an interview with the Economist over the weekend, Stoltenberg stated, "I think the time has come for allies to consider whether they should lift some of the restrictions they put on the use of weapons they have donated to Ukraine because, especially now when a lot of the fighting is going on in Kharkiv, close to the border. To deny Ukraine the possibility of using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very hard for them to defend themselves."

Although Stoltenberg did not directly mention the U.S. or the Biden administration, his remarks come at a time when the U.S. maintains a ban on Ukraine using American weapons to target Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging the U.S. to lift these restrictions, and some U.S. lawmakers are beginning to support this call. Last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Michael Turner (R-Ohio), wrote to the Defense Department requesting the removal of restrictions on U.S. weapons use.

The letter stated, "Ukrainians have been unable to defend themselves due to the administration's current policy."

According to a report from the Institute for the Study of War, Russia has continued to gather equipment and troops at the Ukrainian border in preparation for a planned offensive in Kharkiv. Much of this equipment remains on the Russian side of the border, out of reach of most of Ukraine's current arsenal. However, this situation could change if Ukraine were allowed to use the HIMARS rocket and ATACMS missile systems provided by the U.S., which are capable of reaching these Russian targets.

The push to alter this policy has also gained the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who stated in an interview with Voice of America last week that the U.S. should not "micromanage" Ukraine's war effort. "I think we need to allow Ukraine to prosecute the war the way they see fit," Johnson said. "They need to be able to fight back."