US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg confirmed that President Donald Trump has authorised Kyiv to carry out long-range strikes on Russian territory. Speaking on Fox News, Kellogg emphasized that ?there are no such things as sanctuaries? for Russian targets, signaling a broad green light for Ukraine to use its striking capability where necessary. He clarified, however, that the authorization is handled on a case-by-case basis and must follow presidential instructions, reflecting Trump's role as Commander-in-Chief. ?If the president goes left, you go left. If he says go right, you go right. That's just the way the president is,? Kellogg said.
The envoy noted that President Volodymyr , which have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, during his recent meeting with Trump. While the U.S. is considering providing the cruise missiles, no formal decision has been made. Kellogg explained that Ukrainian forces sometimes have the authority to use U.S.-supplied weapons for deep strikes, while other times they require explicit permission. The evolving situation underscores Ukraine's continued dependence on weapons provided by its allies to conduct long-range operations.
Kellogg also stressed the importance of caution in light of Russia's recent provocations in European airspace. Russian jets violated Polish airspace on September 10, prompting Warsaw to shoot down drones for the first time in over three years of full-scale conflict, and three Russian aircraft breached Estonian airspace on September 19. These incursions heighten the significance of measured responses while authorizing Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory.
Highlighting the wider context, Kellogg observed that Russia is failing to achieve its objectives in Ukraine. ?Russia is not winning this war. If they were winning, they would be in Kyiv, Odesa, they would be over the Dnipro river,? he said. According to the latest Ukrainian General Staff assessment, Russia has lost roughly 1,109,590 troops since the February 24, 2022, invasion. Despite earlier criticism of Ukrainian strikes inside Russia - such as Trump's August 22 letter to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban denouncing drone attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline - the U.S. president has recently taken a harder stance against Russian aggression. ?I?m very dissatisfied with what Russia is doing and what President Putin is doing,? Trump told reporters on September 25. ?I haven?t liked it at all. He's killing people for no reason whatsoever.?
Kellogg's comments indicate a strategic shift: while Ukraine's long-range strikes were previously contentious, Washington is now actively exploring ways to support Kyiv, including potential delivery of Tomahawk missiles, reinforcing the message that Russian territory is no longer beyond Ukraine's reach. The authorization is framed as a measured, case-specific policy rather than a blanket directive, aimed at responding to Moscow's ongoing violations and sustaining pressure along the front lines, where Russia continues to suffer heavy losses.
