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The choice follows weeks of intense behind-the-scenes dialog with the Ukrainians, made extra pressing after Russia started a serious assault on Kharkiv round Might 10.
Three days later, on Might 13, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Austin and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., held one in every of their often scheduled safe video conferences with their Ukrainian counterparts. As soon as once more, the Ukrainians pressed for Mr. Biden to raise U.S. restrictions on firing into Russian territory, arguing that the president’s issues about escalation had been overblown. However now, they mentioned, the problem had grow to be extra pressing as a result of the Russians had been shelling civilian websites round Kharkiv from inside their border — realizing that the Ukrainians couldn’t totally reply.
After the assembly, officers mentioned, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Austin and Common Brown determined to suggest to the president that he reverse his place. However they stored the choice very shut. Two days later, on Might 15, Mr. Sullivan conveyed the advice to Mr. Biden, who — for the primary time — mentioned he was inclined to carve out an exception that may permit the Ukrainians to strike again, even when Russian assaults had been coming from only a few miles behind the Russian border. By then, Mr. Blinken was already in Kyiv and had heard the case for a reversal immediately from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The identical day because the non-public assembly with Mr. Sullivan, the president noticed Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the four-star commander of the U.S. European Command and the supreme allied commander for Europe. He was in Washington for an annual assembly of all of the combatant commanders, and advised Mr. Biden that he additionally agreed that the ban on firing into Russia was posing a hazard to Ukraine — although he, too, one official mentioned, was involved concerning the potential Russian reactions.
Mr. Blinken returned from Kyiv and noticed Mr. Biden and Mr. Sullivan on the night of Might 17 within the Oval Workplace, saying that he emerged satisfied that the USA needed to alter its stance. It was clear by then that Mr. Biden was in settlement, officers mentioned, however the president insisted that earlier than he issued a proper determination, he needed a gathering of his nationwide safety “principals” to contemplate the dangers. That assembly didn’t happen till final week, simply as information of Mr. Blinken’s change of view leaked out.
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