On June 6 (local time), in an interview with ABC News, President Joe Biden assured that the American weapons provided to Ukraine would not be used to strike Moscow and the Kremlin.
Biden, who gave the interview at the American cemetery in Normandy, France, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion, avoided a direct answer to the interviewer’s question about whether the American weapons provided to Ukraine were used in Russia. However, he did say that these weapons would not be used to strike Moscow.
Biden said, “They (American weapons) are authorized to be used in proximity to the border. We’re not authorizing a strike 200 miles into Russia. We’re not authoring strikes on Moscow and the Kremlin. “
On May 31, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Biden had allowed the American weapons provided to Ukraine to be used to strike mainland Russia. This was a step back from the previous prohibition on using American weapons to target Russian territory and came in response to Russia’s recent large-scale offensive against Ukraine. However, using these weapons was reportedly restricted to the area near Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a warning to the United States at a meeting with representatives of major global news agencies, hosted by TASS news agency, ahead of the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). He asked, “If someone supplies weapons to a combat zone that can strike our territory and cause problems, don’t we have the right to supply the same type of weapons to areas that could strike sensitive targets in those countries?”
Putin continued, “If such countries get involved in a war against us, it means they are directly participating in a war against the Russian Federation,” and added, “Then we have the right to act similarly.”
When asked about Putin’s comments, Biden asked, “Does that worry you?” After a pause, he said, “I’ve known him for over 40 years. He’s concerned me for 40 years. He’s not a decent man.”
He continued, “He’s a dictator. And he’s struggling to make sure he holds this country together while still keeping this assault going. “We are not talking about a weapon that will strike Moscow, we are not talking about a weapon that will strike the Kremlin, we are talking about a weapon that can only be used right across the border, here.”
In response to the interviewer’s question about whether he would pardon his son Hunter Biden, who is currently on trial for illegal possession of firearms, Biden said, “Yes,” indicating that he would not pardon his son Hunter.
Biden also dismissed former President Donald Trump’s claim that the guilty verdict on all 34 charges was a “fraud” and a denial of the trial results, saying, “He received a fair trial. That’s what the jury said.”
Regarding the continuous military operations in the Gaza Strip by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite Biden’s call for civilian safety, Biden said, “I believe he (Prime Minister Netanyahu) is listening to my opinion.”
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