On Thursday, US State Department spokesperson told Sputnik in a statement that President Joe Biden had greenlighted Ukrainian strikes using US-supplied weapons inside the Russian territory for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkov region of Ukraine, but has not authorized the use of long-range missiles, including ATACMS, inside Russia.
On Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's right to self-defense includes the right to strike legitimate military targets outside the country.
Stoltenberg also confirmed that he favors lifting restrictions on the use of Western weapons on "legitimate targets" on the territory of Russia. The opinion of EU leaders on the issue is divided.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that attempts to strike Russia with US weapons were already being made. President Vladimir Putin warned NATO allies earlier this week that they should realize "what they are playing with" when they allow Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to strike deep into Russia.