Confusion Reigns: US Reportedly Lifts Ukraine Missile Restrictions, Trump Calls it “Fake News”

A significant and potentially escalatory shift in U.S. policy regarding Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles has been thrown into chaos by conflicting reports and a direct, angry denial from the White House. The Wall Street Journal reported early Thursday that the administration had secretly lifted major restrictions, greenlighting Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia with both U.S. and European-supplied weapons. However, the U.S. President swiftly denounced the report as “FAKE NEWS!” while simultaneously appearing to distance the U.S. from how Ukraine uses non-American missiles.
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed U.S. officials, the administration had removed previous limitations placed on Ukraine’s targeting capabilities. This would reportedly allow Kyiv to use powerful long-range systems—specifically mentioning European-provided missiles like the British/French “Storm Shadow” / SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles, as well as U.S. systems—against military targets located far within Russian territory. The Journal’s sources indicated this move was intended to intensify pressure on the Kremlin and degrade Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort from rear areas previously considered safe havens.
This reported policy shift would represent a dramatic escalation beyond the authorization given just a few weeks ago, which permitted Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons for strikes in border regions directly supporting Russian offensives. Lifting restrictions on all long-range systems, including those from European allies, would significantly expand Ukraine’s reach, potentially putting targets hundreds of kilometers inside Russia at risk.
However, the report was met with an immediate and forceful public denial from the President. In a social media post Thursday morning, he directly refuted the Wall Street Journal’s claims. “FAKE NEWS!” the President declared, regarding the story about removing restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles against targets in Russia.
Crucially, his denial included a carefully worded addendum that created further ambiguity: “The U.S. has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them!”
This phrasing appears specifically aimed at differentiating between U.S.-provided weapons and those supplied by European allies like the UK and France. While directly denying the lifting of restrictions, the President’s statement simultaneously suggests a hands-off approach regarding how Ukraine employs European missiles. This could be interpreted as a form of plausible deniability—implying the U.S. might not actively prevent Ukraine from using European missiles for deep strikes, even if it hasn’t formally approved such actions or lifted restrictions on its own weapons for such purposes.
The conflicting messages leave allies, adversaries, and observers in a state of profound uncertainty about the actual U.S. position. It is unclear whether the Wall Street Journal report was inaccurate, based on internal deliberations that were not finalized, or if the President’s denial is a strategic maneuver.
This confusion comes just days after the President hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, where Zelensky confirmed he requested Tomahawk missiles, while the U.S. President urged him to “make a deal” to end the war. The contradictory signals regarding offensive capabilities underscore the deep internal tensions and strategic ambiguity surrounding U.S. policy as the war in Ukraine grinds on.