Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with US arms, Politico reports

President Joe Biden has quietly allowed Kyiv to fire U.S.-supplied weapons at targets inside Russia but only near the border with the area around Ukraine's northern city of Kharkiv, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

The decision amounts to a policy shift by Biden, who until now steadfastly refused to let Ukraine use American weaponry for strikes inside Russia.

"The President recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S.-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them," said one U.S. official.