A journalist asked the White House chief whether Kyiv had used U.S. weapons after receiving U.S. authorization for strikes to defend Kharkiv Oblast. Biden did not provide a specific answer to the question, but made clear that Ukraine was not authorized to hit the Russian capital or the Kremlin with them.

"They are authorized to be used in close proximity to the border when they are used on the other side of the border to attack specific targets in Ukraine. We don't authorize strikes 200 miles to Russia, and we don't authorize strikes on Moscow, on the Kremlin", he emphasized.

The American president also commented on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, saying that supplying weapons to Ukraine for strikes on Russia is "a direct participation in this war".

"I've known him for over 40 years. He has concerned me for 40 years. He's a dishonest man. He's a dictator, and he's trying to make sure he keeps his country together, still holding this attack together. We're not talking about giving them weapons to strike Moscow, to strike the Kremlin. To strike just across the border where they're getting significant fire from conventional weapons that the Russians are using to go into Ukraine to kill Ukrainians", the U.S. president said.

• On May 31, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed that President Joe Biden had secretly authorized Ukraine to strike targets in Russia with U.S. weapons. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the corresponding message was from the side of the states and called such an action of the ally "a step forward". At the same time, a representative of the US National Security Council commented on the borders of the Russian Federation covered by the US authorization.
• On 5 June, a US senator and a Western official said on condition of anonymity that Ukraine had already used US weapons to strike targets in Russia.