Ukraine has been allowed to strike not only in the Kursk region – The Washington Post

Ukraine may potentially conduct long-range strikes with Western munitions beyond just the Kursk region, as previously reported by media outlets.

This was revealed by The Washington Post, citing sources.

“Initial Ukrainian efforts are expected to focus on the Kursk region and surrounding areas, although they could expand,” the publication states.

According to the newspaper, U.S. President Joe Biden’s authorization is intended to “place Ukraine in the best possible position ahead of peace negotiations,” which are anticipated to be initiated by Donald Trump following his inauguration. The White House believes that this decision “will have a very specific and limited effect” on the battlefield and should not lead to escalation.

Amid media reports, official comments have been issued regarding the authorization. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock essentially confirmed U.S. permission for Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes against Russia.

“The decision by the American side—and I would like to emphasize that this is not a rethinking but an enhancement of what has already been done by other partners—is extremely important at this moment,” Baerbock stated in Brussels ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Meanwhile, Le Figaro removed information suggesting that UK and French authorities had permitted long-range strikes on Russia using Storm Shadow missiles. This news was initially reported after Biden lifted restrictions on Ukraine using ATACMS long-range missiles against Russia. However, the article on Le Figaro’s website has since been edited, omitting references to Storm Shadow.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot clarified that Paris had not lifted its prohibition on long-range strikes against Russia.

Reuters quoted him as saying, “We have openly stated that this is an option we would consider if it would allow for targeting positions from which Russia is currently conducting aggression on Ukrainian territory. So, nothing new on that front.”

It is worth recalling that Russia recently proposed considering the possibility of a demonstrative single nuclear strike on waters near the coast of the UK and France following Ukraine’s authorization to conduct long-range strikes on Russian territory.