UKRAINE, Jul 16 — Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder explained that the United States doesn’t allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with American weapons because they could have unpredictable consequences in terms of escalation in an interview with Voice of America.

Some European countries, such as France, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Netherlands, and others, have already permitted Ukraine to use its weapons against Russia. 

Ryder said that US policy on strikes with US weapons has not changed. Ukraine can use these weapons for self-defense, including near its border, but cannot use them for long-range attacks deep into Russia.

“I think it’s important to understand here that we don’t want to see unintended consequences and escalation to make this a broader conflict that extends beyond Ukraine. And that’s something that I think we all need to think about and take very seriously,” Pat Ryder said.

According to him, it’s necessary to look at “second and third-order effects” in terms of potential escalation if targets, hit inside Russia, don’t have “a strategic impact” or “have unintended consequences.” He did not specify what the second and third-order effects are.  

Ryder added that Washington has never in any way underestimated the threat that Russia poses to Ukraine and, therefore, will continue to cooperate with Kyiv so that it has everything it needs to defend its sovereign territory.

Different allies started to allow Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside Russia in May 2024, when Russia launched a ground assault north of the Kharkiv region. Similarly in May, America first approved short-range attacks to defend the Kharkiv region, and then the entire state’s border. 

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  •  The Russian army launched 20 air strikes, using 36 glide bombs (KABs), at Ukrainian positions in the Kharkiv region near Vovchansk, Lyptsi, Veterynarne, Borshchova, Hlyboke, Vesele, and Bilyi Kolodiaz, reported “Kharkiv” group of forces.