Arizona Sen Mark Kelly 'comfortable' with use of US weapons by Ukraine on Russian land

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said Sunday that he is “comfortable” with the Ukrainian military using American weapons directly on Russian soil. The comments come as the Biden-Harris administration has allowed Ukraine to take increasingly aggressive moves over the last few months. 

Kelly made the comments on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” that he believes the recent Ukrainian attack on Kursk could “change the tide” of the war – though he didn’t say how that would be done given the circumstances of the war. Kursk was the site of the largest tank battle in history in July 1943 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.



“Let me ask you about Ukraine. I know you are very focused on that war,” host Margaret Brennan said. “Their forces launched this bold incursion into Western Russia, into this Kursk area. Are you comfortable with U.S. weapons being used on Russian soil?”

“Well, Margaret, yes, I am at this point,” Kelly said. “The Ukrainians were illegally attacked by Vladimir Putin. He — I mean, he is intentionally killing women, children, old people. It was an illegal invasion. This incursion, I will just — let’s characterize it that way for now. I don’t think the Ukrainians want to intentionally hold Russian territory for a long period of time. But this really set Putin back on his heels. He has always tried to characterize himself as somebody that is going to protect Russia. I think his citizens are seeing the results of what he has done in Ukraine, that now they are somewhat at risk.”

“A hundred and thirty thousand Russians have had to leave, leave their homes,” he added. “And, at this point in this conflict, I think the Ukrainians did something unpredictable that could really change the tide of how this conflict is going to play out.”

Kelly was on Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' short list of potential running mates and also founded a spy balloon company that also has monetary connections to China.