Exclusive-U.S. and Ukraine discuss danger of escalation as new arms extend Kyiv's reach

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Marines load an M777 towed 155 mm howitzer into the cargo hold of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport plane, to be delivered in Europe for Ukrainian forces, at March Air Reserve Base, California, U.S. April 21, 2022. Picture taken April 21, 2022. U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Austin Fraley/Handout via REUTERS.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the United States and its allies provide Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated arms, Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, U.S. and diplomatic officials tell Reuters.

The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces. But the conversations have sought to reach a shared understanding of the risk of escalation, three U.S. officials and diplomatic sources said.