Austin: Enabling Ukraine strikes on Russian soil will prove "very helpful"

• Putin warned this week that Russia could provide long-range weapons to nations seeking to attack the West.

What they're saying: Austin was asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer how far the U.S. is willing to go in letting Kyiv strike deeper into Russia with U.S. weapons when deemed necessary.

• "Our policy using long-range strike weaponry to go into Russia hasn't changed," said Austin, speaking from Normandy, France, where he joined world leaders including President Biden to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
• "But what we have done is provided Ukraine the ability to counter-fire, to fire back at those Russian troops that are firing at them, and to be able to take out their artillery batteries as they're firing at the Ukrainians.
• He added: "I think that's going to prove to be very, very helpful to the Ukrainians going forward."

Context: Biden gave Ukraine permission late last month to use American weapons to strike select targets in Russia.

• The move greatly increased Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia's ongoing, unprovoked invasion.

Go deeper: Ukraine has "freaking decimated" Russia's military, Biden says