A senior U.S. official, Keith Kellogg, recently suggested that Ukraine might be given the green light to use American-supplied weapons for long-range attacks deep within Russian territory. This marks a significant potential shift in the U.S. stance on the ongoing conflict.
During a Sunday interview on Fox News, Kellogg was directly questioned about whether former President Trump had approved such strikes. This query followed recent accusations that Russia had sent fighter jets and drones into the airspace of multiple European countries.
Referencing statements from Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Kellogg affirmed, ‘The answer is yes.’
He emphasized, ‘They should use the capability to strike deeply. There are no safe havens.’
Separately, Vice President Vance stated on another Fox News program that discussions were underway within the U.S. administration about potentially providing Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, a request that Trump had previously rejected.
Vance clarified that the President would make the ultimate decision on these missiles, noting that the U.S. was also reviewing several related requests from European allies.
In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserted on Monday that ‘no single solution can fundamentally alter the battlefield situation for the Kyiv regime.’
Peskov downplayed the significance of any new weaponry, stating, ‘There’s no magic weapon. Neither Tomahawk missiles nor any other missiles will be able to shift the momentum.’
Last week, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump had expressed confidence that Kyiv, with support from the European Union, could reclaim ‘all of Ukraine back in its original form.’
This comes after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its subsequent control over parts of eastern and southern Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
This statement represents a notable shift in Trump’s stance on Ukraine, particularly given his earlier, more skeptical remarks to Zelenskyy in February, where he suggested Ukraine lacked the means to defeat Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia has reiterated its commitment to continuing its offensive in the three-and-a-half-year conflict, with the Kremlin recently dismissing Trump’s assertions about Russia being an economically ‘floundering paper tiger.’