A group of U.S. congressmen called for Ukraine to be allowed to use U.S. weapons to strike Russian soil.

The letter is posted on the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee’s page on the X social media.

The appeal states that Ukrainians cannot effectively defend themselves because of the policies of the Biden Administration.

“It is important that the Biden administration empower Ukraine’s military leadership to conduct the full range of operations necessary to respond to Russia’s unprovoked attack on their sovereign soil,” the letter reads.

The congressmen also emphasized the need to increase the number of Ukrainian pilots training to fly F-16s and to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.

“Our Ukrainian allies are requesting authorization to use certain types of U.S.-provided weapons to conduct operations against strategic targets inside Russia and Russian-controlled territory,” the congressmen’s letter reads.

At a press conference following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format) on Monday, May 20, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that the United States expects Ukraine not to use US weapons to strike Russian troops and facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation.

After the start of the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that there should be no ban on the use of Western weapons to strike Russian territory, as it is not about Ukraine’s offensive, but about defense.

U.S. Department of Defense

On May 22, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder stated that the United States supports Ukraine’s efforts to defend its sovereign territory from Russian invaders.

The journalist asked why Ukraine could not use U.S. weapons to strike at Russian territory.

Ryder responded: “As Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has highlighted earlier, our policy has not changed. We are focused on providing Ukraine with the capabilities that it needs to defend itself within Ukraine – Ukrainian sovereign territory. We’re going to continue to have those conversations with our Ukrainian partners, as well as our international allies and partners, when it comes to the kinds of capabilities, to include air defense.”

On May 10, Russian troops launched an assault in the Kharkiv region and are constantly shelling border settlements.