Vladimir Zelensky is expected to bring up the issue of restrictions on long-range attacks into Russian territory when he meets with US President Joe Biden later this week, White House national security spokesman John Kirby has said.
Ukraine’s leader is scheduled to meet with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, after giving a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.
“I’m sure the issue will come up,” Kirby told reporters on Tuesday, speaking on the sidelines of the UN session, adding that Biden “has not made a policy change” and is “still in the same place” on the issue of missiles.
Kiev has been demanding that the US and its allies lift all restrictions on the use of the weapons they have provided Ukraine, such as long-range ATACMS missiles, in order to strike deep inside Russia. The West has pointed to the limitations to argue that it is not directly involved in the conflict, while arming and supplying Ukraine.
Ukraine has expected the US to have given the permission by now, two Kiev officials told the Washington Post on Tuesday. According to the Post, the current US administration is divided on the issue, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin opposed to changing the policy and Secretary of State Antony Blinken siding with Kiev.
According to the Post, Ukraine has already used US weapons in Russia’s Kursk Region “in ways that stretch the previous rules of engagement,” but the US military believes that when it comes to ATACMS, the purported benefits “are not compelling enough to outweigh the drawbacks.”
The outlet also revealed that Kiev “has long been dependent” on receiving target coordinates for US-provided weapons “from US military personnel on a base elsewhere in Europe.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out this very fact earlier this month, arguing that the issue here is not granting Ukraine permission, but getting the US and NATO “directly involved” in open war against Russia. This would “significantly change” the nature of the conflict and force Moscow to “make the appropriate decisions,” Putin said.
Meanwhile, the US intends to announce a $375 million batch of military aid to Ukraine, AP reported on Tuesday evening citing anonymous sources in Washington. The package would include missiles for HIMARS launchers, cluster bombs for Ukrainian fighter jets, armored vehicles, bridging equipment, anti-tank missiles and other ammunition, which will come out of the US military stockpiles. By the Pentagon’s account, the US has provided Ukraine over $56 billion in direct military aid since February 2022.