Ex-US аmbassador: why Washington forbids Ukraine to strike at Russian territory

The co-chairman of the international working group on sanctions against Russia said this in an interview with Voice of America.

"I think it has to do with the Biden administration's concern about a possible escalation of the war that could lead to direct involvement of the United States. Senior officials mentioned that President Biden said he didn't want to drag the country into World War III," McFaul said.  

In his opinion, the White House is overestimating this threat, as the likelihood of such a development is very, very low.

"First, because Putin does not want a conventional war with NATO and the United States. He is barely surviving fighting Ukraine. Imagine if the United States and NATO entered this war. I think it would be over quickly. It is also important to remember that Russia has been very careful to avoid striking NATO countries, even though they could have done so," McFaul said.

He added that the threat of a conventional war between NATO countries and Russia is extremely low, and the threat of nuclear confrontation is almost zero.

"Because of the mutual damage it could lead to. I don't see anyone in Russia talking about this. One of the aspects that they talk about and hint at, at least some Russians, is the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine if Russia is under a significant threat. But again, I see that as an unlikely development because NATO, the United States and Ukraine certainly have no plans to attack Russia," McFaul emphasized. 

He expressed his belief that Ukraine needs to be provided with more powerful weapons to end the war quickly.

"The provision of powerful weapons - in particular, I am talking about the ATACMS long-range missile systems and F-16 jet fighters - would accelerate the end of the war, while their non-provision leads to a stalemate that could drag on for years. And I don't agree with the Biden administration on this. But I know that they are considering the possibility of providing such weapons, and I think the discussions are ongoing," McFaul said. 

• On May 23, the US State Department reiterated that it was not encouraging Ukraine to attack Russian territory.