Former President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that reports the United States has authorized Ukraine to use long‑range rockets against Russian targets are false, dismissing the Washington Post article as misinformation.
Trump’s Response
Trump tweeted that the Wall Street Journal’s claim that the U.S. had given Ukraine permission to fire long‑range rockets inside Russia is “fake news.” He insisted the United States has no involvement with those rockets, regardless of their origin or Ukraine’s use of them.
WSJ Report on Pentagon Decision
The WSJ article, published on October 22, stated that the U.S. administration lifted a ban on Ukraine firing Western long‑range missiles—such as British Storm Shadow missiles containing U.S. components—against targets in Russia. The change followed Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth delegating decision authority to U.S. forces in Europe.
Political Context
The reports appeared days after NATO publicly backed Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine and after he made inconsistent remarks about sending Tomahawk missiles—longest‑range U.S. weapons—to Ukraine. His comments were seen as an attempt to de‑escalate the conflict, while NATO officials expressed confidence that only Trump could end the war.
