Biden claims he will not let Ukraine use US weapons to strike Moscow
President Joe Biden insists that no U.S. weapons provided to Ukraine will be used to strike Russia's Capital city or government buildings. He wouldn't, however, directly say if U.S.-made missiles or weapons have already been used to strike inside Russia.
Biden signed off on allowing Kyiv to use U.S.-made weapons across the border – though the authorization of use is restricted to the Russian-occupied region of Kharkiv. Pictured: U.S. weapons arrive in Ukraine in January.
Speaking with ABC News at the Normandy American Cemetery on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday, the president addressed concerns that this new move would lead to an attack by Ukraine in Moscow or on the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed overnight that the U.S. supplying 'high-precision weapons to Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory is direct participation in this war.' 'Does that concern you?' ABC anchor David Muir asked Biden.
'I've known him for over 40 years. He's concerned me for 40 years. He's not a decent man,' Biden said of Putin. 'He's a dictator, and he's struggling to make sure he holds his country together while still keeping this assault going.'
'We're not talking about giving them weapons to strike Moscow, to strike the Kremlin, to strike against – just across the border, where they're receiving significant fire from conventional weapons used by the Russians to go into Ukraine to kill Ukrainians,' Biden clarified. The full interview with Biden will air Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir program.
Since Russia invaded in February 2022 and kicked off the now two-and-a-half years of conflict in the region, Biden has signed off on a whopping $175 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Biden is in France this week to commemorate the storming of Normandy in 1944 – an Allied force attack that led to the fall of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Along with world leaders and politicians, Saving Private Ryan star Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg also attended the ceremonies in Normandy 25 years after the release of the blockbuster film that was set in Normandy, France and depicted D-Day. During the president's trip to Europe on Thursday, Biden plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss ongoing war efforts in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Biden told ABC News that Ukraine is only 'authorized to be used in proximity to the border when they're being used on the other side of the border to attack specific targets in Ukraine.' 'We're not authorizing strikes 200 miles into Russia and we're not authorizing strikes on Moscow, on the Kremlin,' he insisted.
