Speaker Johnson supports Ukraine's idea of striking Russia with American weapons
Archive photo: US House Speaker Mike Johnson (Getty Images)
Ukraine should be allowed to wage war with Russia as it sees fit. And trying to to micromanage efforts is not a good policy, stated the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson.
Voice of America correspondent Katerina Lisunova told Johnson that his colleagues on the House Intelligence Committee had issued a statement urging the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to use American weapons against military targets in Russia.
She asked him if he would support such an idea, as Ukraine currently has American weapons, but there are restrictions on their use.
"I think, they need to allow Ukraine to prosecute the war the way they see fits. They need to be able to fight back," said Johnson.
He added that "trying to micromanage the effort there it’s not a good policy".
Asked @SpeakerJohnson about using US weapons on the RU territory?
— Kateryna Lisunova (@KaterynaLis) May 22, 2024
⁰SPEAKER: I think, they need to allow Ukraine to prosecute the war the way they see fits. They need to be able to fight back. And I think us trying to micromanage the effort there it’s not a good policy for us. pic.twitter.com/71iLMTa9p8
What preceded it
The Biden administration publicly stated that it did not approve of strikes on Russian territory. However, Ukraine began attacking targets on Russian territory with its own weapons. After that, the United States said it would not allow this to be done with American weapons. Although recently, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Ukraine decided how to conduct its war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly criticized such restrictions, explaining that they give Russia a significant advantage, as the Russian army can amass troops near Ukraine's border.
Yesterday, a bipartisan group of congressmen, members of the US House Intelligence Committee, called on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to allow Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia with American weapons.
