The White House defended President Joe Biden‘s recent decision to allow Ukraine to strike in Russia using U.S.-provided weapons but declined to clarify what specifically changed the president’s mind.
Biden’s decision has already set off a chain of dominoes surrounding the conflict. First, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for a retaliatory nuclear strike to include conventional missile strikes from Ukraine using technology provided by the United States or other allies.
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Ukraine did just that late Tuesday night, launching midrange missiles supplied by the U.S., also known as ATACMS, against Russian military targets. Russia, in turn, responded by striking Ukraine with an “experimental” ballistic missile.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked several questions on the topic during Thursday’s press briefing but repeatedly refused to offer specifics about Biden’s decision.
Jean-Pierre did point to a “major escalation” carried out by Russia after adding thousands of North Korean troops to the front lines in Ukraine.
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“This makes a significant change and one that we warned the Russians about before they did it,” she said.
“The escalation at every turn and every step is coming from Russia. They’re the ones who escalated this,” Jean-Pierre continued. “They’re the ones who started this war. It’s because of their aggression.”
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You can watch Thursday’s briefing in full below.