Russia's Advance In Kharkiv Slowing, US Def Sec Austin

Wires carrying comments from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in Brussels, stating that Russia's advance in Kharkiv is "slowing" following the lifting of some restrictions on the use of western-supplied weapons.

• Austin: "Russia's advance in Kharkiv region is slowing, frontline is stabilizing after several allies lifted restrictions on use of donated weapons."
• Austin's comments support reporting suggesting that the lifting of restrictions has halted a major Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, which threatened to redraw the frontline significantly for the first time since Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in 2022.
• Although the US, and other Western donors, have maintained some restrictions - like banning strikes on non-military infrastructure or targets beyond the immediate border region - the decision appears to have nullified Moscow's strategic advantage of using the border as a buffer zone to garrison troops and supply lines and launch attacks.
• Ihor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv, noted on June 11 that the situation has been "calmer" since lifting of restrictions: "There has been a break in the shelling, which I think is connected with the fact that the equipment that Kharkiv was being shelled with has been successfully hit."
• Maintaining a strong battlefield position is considered crucial to strengthening Kyiv's hand in eventual negotiations to find a political solution to the war. Ukraine will also be bolstered by a fresh funding stream from a G7 agreement on using immobilised Russian assets to underwrite a USD$50 billion loan, set to be announced today.