Even if the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, pushes kyiv to use missiles supplied by Western countries to strike Russia, the Americans are adding water to the fire. “There is no change in our policy on this point. We do not encourage or authorize the use of U.S.-supplied weapons to strike in Russia,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing. US President Joe Biden also reiterated today that he has no plans to send US troops to Ukraine. “There are no American soldiers at war and I am determined to keep things that way, but we will stand with Kiev,” he said during his graduation speech at the West Point Military Academy.
“Limited operation” underway in Rafah
After Sunday's raid on Rafah, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated that “the policy doesn't change.” “It just happened, the Israelis will investigate,” he stressed, specifying that Washington “does not want to look away”. The operation in Rafah must however be considered “limited” so far. “The entry of a tank in itself does not make it a large-scale operation,” he reiterated.
Chinese concern
On the contrary, the US administration said it was “deeply concerned” by China’s large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. “We are closely monitoring China's activities and coordinating with our allies,” read a statement from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. “We strongly urge Beijing to act with restraint,” the official said, stressing that “using a normal, routine, democratic transition as an excuse for military provocations risks provoking escalation.”