Biden meets with British leader and brushes off Putin's threats about weapons for Ukraine
President Joe Biden has brushed off a threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about war against the West if Ukraine’s allies allow it to use weapons deeper inside Russia
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden brushed off a threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about war against the West if Ukraine’s allies allow it to use weapons deeper inside Russia. It's a shift that Kyiv has pleaded for, but no decision was immediately announced following a meeting Friday between Biden and Britain’s prime minister.
Ukraine and many of its supporters in the U.S. and Europe want Biden to lift restrictions on Western-provided long-range weapons, and there are signs Biden might shift the administration's policy.
The U.S., concerned about any step that could lead Russia to escalate the conflict, has moved cautiously before granting a series of earlier requests from Ukraine for specific arms, including advanced tanks, missiles and rocket systems, and F-16 fighter jets. Russian officials have issued similar threats before many of those past decisions.
Ukraine was a key topic for Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after this week’s visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, who came under fresh pressure to loosen weapons restrictions. So far, the U.S. has allowed Ukraine to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.
