U.S. Under Secretary of State: we want to make sure that Russia won't be able to use its territory as safe haven
The United States wants to ensure that Russia cannot use its territory as a safe haven from which it can attack Ukrainian forces with impunity, stated U.S. acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs John Bass, commenting on Washington's permission for Ukraine to strike Russian territory.
During a briefing in Kyiv, when asked whether the United States had allowed Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles on Russian territory, and how long Ukraine would be able to carry out strikes on Russian military targets there in general, Bass said he did not want to reveal details to prevent the Russians from learning about Ukrainian forces' plans.
The Under Secretary of State said that for obvious reasons, he is not going to go into operational details that might signal intentions or give Russia the opportunity to take countermeasures against what Ukrainian forces might do.
At the same time, he recalled a recent comment by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who said that the permission to strike with American weapons on Russia "not about geography, it's about common sense."
The United States wants to make sure that Russia cannot use its territory as a safe haven from which it can attack Ukrainian forces with impunity, Bass said.
As reported, in March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the upcoming resignation of Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
He noted that he and U.S. President Joe Biden had asked Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass to temporarily serve as acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
Bass has been working at the Department of State for many years. In particular, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia from 2009-2012, to Türkiye from 2014-2017, and to Afghanistan from 2017-2020.