Wed Sep 11 09:33:56 UTC 2024: ## Ukraine Presses Allies to Lift Restrictions on Long-Range Weapons, Sparking Tensions with Russia
**Kyiv, Ukraine** – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging his Western allies to lift restrictions on long-range weapons, allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia, including airfields, ammunition depots, and command centers. President Joe Biden has acknowledged that the US is “working out” whether to authorize Ukraine to use such weapons, sparking strong reactions from Moscow.
Zelenskyy argues that such strikes would increase the cost of the war for Russia and incentivize peace talks. He emphasizes the need to make Russian citizens, including soldiers, “think about what they need: peace or Putin.”
The potential shift in US policy is a significant development, as Washington has so far been hesitant to escalate tensions with Russia by providing weapons capable of striking deep inside the country. However, Moscow has warned that such a move would make the US and its allies participants in the war and could prompt Russia to deploy more powerful weapons.
While the US has yet to make a definitive decision, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that numerous factors are being considered, including the effectiveness and maintainability of such weapons by Ukrainian forces.
The issue is expected to be a key topic of discussion during Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Britain has announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet” of vessels used to circumvent Western oil embargoes.
The escalation in rhetoric comes as Russia continues its offensive in the Donbas region, while Ukrainian forces have launched surprise counteroffensives, including a recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Both sides have intensified drone and missile attacks.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit the US later this month, where he will present a peace plan to President Biden and the two presidential candidates.
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