Statements yesterday from the spokesman for Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Serhii Nykyforov, indicate that: a) Washington refused for now to grant permission for the use of Western missiles for deep strikes into Russia; b) that the door has not been closed; and c) that, if they do get permission, it may not be announced until after a first strike deep into Russia. Nykyforov was also at some pains to assure Ukrainians that Zelenskyy had not lost his magic.
Nykyforov spoke yesterday on the national joint 24/7 newscast. As reported by Ukrainska Pravda English, he noted that “there is no final unambiguous decision” on this issue yet, but Zelenskyy “held talks with all the parties on whom this decision depends and who can provide the appropriate opportunities—Italy, France, the U.K. and, of course, the U.S.” Ukraine has a “strong general request” to its partners “with arguments, with all the tasks and all the calculations of what this permission will allow us to achieve in practice. We have this huge request, and we hope that the partners will give in.”
He also issued a new threat: “We must understand that the Russians will be the first to know about the permission to strike deep into Russian territory. They will be the first to know, and then an official announcement will be made.” While this is a direct threat to Russia, it also allows for a scenario whereby Kiev pretends it is acting on its own, without any public agreement from its “partners.” Moscow may know that this is a physical impossibility, yet such pretend “deniability” is a real factor in the fantasy game of London and Washington.
