U.S. President Joe Biden's national security advisor said on Sunday that Russia's advance on northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region "has stalled."
"The momentum of that operation in Kharkiv has stalled out," Jake Sullivan told CBS. "Kharkiv is still under threat but Russians have not been able to make material progress on the ground in recent days in that area."
Washington recently gave Kyiv the green light to use U.S.-supplied weapons in defending the Kharkiv region, despite concerns that authorizing those kinds of strikes might drag NATO into a direct conflict with Russia.
"From the president's perspective, this was common sense," Sullivan said. "It simply didn't make sense not to allow the Ukrainians to fire across that border, to hit Russian guns and emplacements that were firing at the Ukrainians."
Biden, who is visiting France, met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Friday, reiterating his support for the war-torn country.
Speaking on Saturday, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin would "not stop" at Ukraine.
"All of Europe will be threatened. We are not going to let that happen," Biden told journalists alongside French President Emmanuel Macron after talks at the Elysee Palace.
Russian forces have made their most significant territorial gains in 18 months since launching a surprise ground assault against the Kahrkiv region in early May, capturing several Ukrainian border villages and forcing thousands to flee their homes.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
