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Top Ukrainian Officials to Meet With US Gov’t to Seek Permission to Strike Russia - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President's office and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will meet this week with representatives of the US President administration in an attempt to persuade the White House to lift restrictions on strikes deep into Russian territory using long-range US weapons, media reported.
Sputnik
Yermak and Umerov intend to provide Washington with a list of "priority targets" without which, according to Kiev's position, "it will be difficult to change the course of the war in Ukraine’s favor," the report said.
Umerov will meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, the report read, adding that it is unclear, however, with whom Yermak will hold talks.
"We consider strikes deep into Russian territory with American weapons no more provocative than strikes with American weapons on Russian territory near the border. Both are Russian territory and it makes no difference how deep the targets are," the lawmaker was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.
On Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said that the United States has no immediate plans to lift restrictions on strikes against Russian targets inside the country using US-donated weapons.
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Russia views the supply of weapons to Ukraine as an impediment to conflict resolution, arguing that it directly involves NATO countries in the conflict and constitutes "playing with fire." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that any shipments containing weapons for Ukraine will be considered legitimate targets for Russia.
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