Britain Breaks with Biden on Ukraine

The Ukrainian government has not taken responsibility for the attack on Russia’s Belgorod region last week, which was supported by artillery fire from inside Ukraine. Nor has Ukraine claimed credit for the drone strikes that are becoming a regular feature of life in the Russian capital or similar attacks on Russian infrastructure that have been ongoing for months. Why would it? One of Kyiv’s foremost Western sponsors, the Biden administration, has repeatedly warned Ukraine against striking Russian-based targets — even those that serve as staging areas for the invasion of Ukrainian territory.

John Kirby, the White House’s National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, reiterated that warning as recently as last week. “We don’t want to encourage or enable that,” he told reporters. “We certainly don’t want any U.S.-made equipment used to attack Russian soil.” But another of Kyiv’s crucial Western backers, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, apparently disagrees with the Biden administration’s cautious approach.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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The Ukrainian government has not taken responsibility for the attack on Russia’s Belgorod region last week, which was supported by artillery fire from inside Ukraine. Nor has Ukraine claimed credit for the drone strikes that are becoming a regular feature of life in the Russian capital or similar attacks on Russian infrastructure that have been ongoing for months. Why would it? One of Kyiv’s foremost Western sponsors, the Biden administration, has repeatedly warned Ukraine against striking Russian-based targets — even those that serve as staging areas for the invasion of Ukrainian territory.

John Kirby, the White House’s National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, reiterated that warning as recently as last week. “We don’t want to encourage or enable that,” he told reporters. “We certainly don’t want any U.S.-made equipment used to attack Russian soil.” But another of Kyiv’s crucial Western backers, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, apparently disagrees with the Biden administration’s cautious approach.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.