US nears decision to let Ukraine hit some targets in Russia

The U.S. is approaching a final decision to lift some restrictions on Ukraine’s use of western-made weapons to strike limited military targets in Russia, according to people familiar with the matter.

The discussions have been shaped by North Korea ramping up support for President Vladimir Putin’s army and a decision would also follow an increase in Russian missile and drone attacks on its neighbor, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

If approved, the capability would likely be used first in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine is fighting against North Korean troops as well as Moscow’s forces, the people said. Still, any permission, if granted, is unlikely to go as far as Ukraine has requested, one of the people said. They declined to provide operational details.

Spokespeople for the National Security Council declined to comment.

As the war in Ukraine heads into its third full winter, the U.S. and its allies have grown extremely concerned about Pyongyang’s decision to deploy its forces in combat and assessments by some Group of 20 nations suggest North Korea could eventually send as many as 100,000 troops to Russia. The allies believe the deepening cooperation between Putin and Kim Jong Un could have consequences for the security balance in the Indo-Pacific region, Bloomberg has reported previously.

Discussions between the allies over missile strikes have intensified since Donald Trump won U.S. elections earlier this month, another person said. Trump has said he will seek a quick deal between Ukraine and Russia to end the war, without specifying how.

Moscow, with Pyongyang’s help, has been trying to dislodge Ukrainian forces from its Kursk region after they captured some areas in a surprise incursion earlier this year. Some leaders will likely raise the issue of North Korean military involvement, including with China, at the G-20 leaders summit that begins Monday in Brazil.

Pyongyang has also supported Russia with millions of rounds of artillery ammunition and other weapons. The U.S. is expected to adopt more sanctions against North Korea before President Joe Biden leaves office, some of the people said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long pleaded with allies to allow the use of western weapons to strike military targets deep inside Russia. He’s argued that the decision would enable his country to better defend itself against the barrage of attacks targeting its critical infrastructure and cities. Some allies believed the move would make little difference on the battlefield and is not worth the escalation risk.

The Biden administration has said it will send as much aid as possible to Kyiv before Trump takes office in January.

“There’s a lot being said about us getting permission for respective actions,” Zelenskyy said in a video statement Sunday. “But strikes aren’t being done with words. Such things aren’t being announced. Missiles will speak for themselves.”

_____