Biden lets Ukraine hit Russia with American weapons — officials

President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use American weaponry to strike inside Russia for the purpose of defending Kharkiv, according to three US officials familiar with the matter.

The officials, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, underscored on Thursday that the US policy calling on Ukraine not to use American-provided ATACMS or long-range missiles and other munitions to strike offensively inside Russia has not changed.

Biden's directive allows for US-supplied weapons to be used for "counterfire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them," one official said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of the threat of a global conflict if Kiev's Western allies allow it to use weapons they have supplied to strike inside Russia, something Ukraine's government is urging its partners to permit.

In recent weeks, Russian forces have achieved several gains in the Kharkiv region following a surprise offensive in this border area.

The announcement comes as Ukrainian officials have stepped up calls on the US administration to allow its forces to defend itself against attacks originating from Russian territory. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is just 20 kilometres from the Russian border.

Biden's decision was first reported by Politico.

This decision allows Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons, including rockets and rocket launchers, to intercept Russian missiles targeting Kharkiv, strike at troops amassing just across the Russian border, and target Russian bombers attacking Ukrainian territory.

However, the official emphasised that Ukraine is restricted from using these weapons to hit civilian infrastructure or to launch long-range missiles, such as the Army Tactical Missile System, against military targets deep within Russia, Politico reported.

D-Day 80th anniversary

Ukrainian officials, most notably Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been increasingly vocal in arguing that the restriction was putting Ukrainian forces in an untenable situation as Russia intensified attacks around the northeast region.

The United States has said it does not encourage or enable the use of US weapons for direct attacks on Russia, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when asked about Washington's current position on the matter, said on Wednesday it would "adjust and adapt."

Biden's decision comes as he's set to travel to France early next month to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations in Normandy, a watershed moment in changing the course of World War II.

Zelenskyy is among dozens of world leaders expected to attend to attend the D-Day commemorations.