Ukraine has said it is ‘cautiously optimistic’ after discussing with the United States the possibility of carrying out deep strikes in Russia.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke out after discussing with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken the possibility of conducting such deep strikes into Russian territory – as well as Euro-Atlantic integration.
Kyiv has long been lobbying for Western allies to allow long-range attacks on military targets inside Russia, while also pressing for an invitation to join the Nato alliance.
Allies including the United States have so far been unwilling to permit long-range attacks for fear of further escalating the conflict, and some are opposed to inviting Ukraine to join Nato.
“We discussed issues of long-range strikes and Euro-Atlantic integration. And here we also are cautiously optimistic,” Mr Sybiha said in televised comments.
His talks with Mr Blinken in Brussels came at a turbulent time, just a week after Donald Trump won the US presidential election.
Mr Trump has long criticised the scale of American financial and military aid to Ukraine and has vowed to end the war quickly, without explaining how. Ukraine and its European allies fear this would mean accepting peace on Russia‘s terms, which would entail large territorial losses and rule out Ukraine ever joining Nato.
Mr Sybiha said his talks in Brussels had also touched on military aid.
Vladimir Putin‘s forces lost 1,950 of its troops on November 11, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, adding to the 1,770 casualties reported by Kyiv on Sunday.
The estimations suggest that the Russian President’s forces have now lost a total of 712,610 men during the conflict, which started on February 24, 2022.
