Russian offensive on Kharkiv “has stalled,” Washington says

The Russian military offensive around Kharkiv “has stalled,” according to the White House national security adviser. He sees this in particular as a consequence of the green light given by Washington to the Ukrainians to strike in Russia, on the other side of the border.

“From the president’s (Joe Biden) perspective, it’s just common sense. What was happening around Kharkiv, what was new in recent months, was a Russian offensive during which they were going from one side of the border to the other, and it made no sense not to let the Ukrainians are hitting across that border,” Jake Sullivan told CBS.

“So the president authorized this. The Ukrainians put it into practice on the battlefield,” he added, from Paris where Joe Biden is making an official trip.

No ground gained

“And I want to emphasize that this (Russian) offensive in Kharkiv has stalled. Kharkiv remains threatened but the Russians have not gained any ground in recent days in this area,” said Jake Sullivan.

On Tuesday, the advisor had already estimated that this new authorization, in addition to the regular arrival of American weapons thanks to a vote in Congress, had had an impact on the front.

“We saw them reinforce the lines in some key places. We see them resisting the Russian assault,” declared Jake Sullivan, shortly before Joe Biden announced new aid of $225 million to Ukraine on Friday.

The American president has long refused to allow the Ukrainians to use weapons delivered by the United States, their primary military support, against Russian territory, but has therefore just lifted this veto, under certain conditions however.

Joe Biden repeated Thursday, in an interview with the ABC channel, that it was not a question of “strike 300 km inside Russian territory or in Moscow or on the Kremlin”, but only of aiming “at proximity to the border.”

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