Top US commander proposes cruise missiles for Ukraine – CNN
The top general for US forces in Europe, Christopher Cavoli, has suggested that supplying air-launched cruise missiles from the Pentagon’s stockpiles could help Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, CNN reported on Tuesday.
Cavoli, who is head of the US European Command (EUCOM) and a senior NATO commander, is playing a key role in coordinating Western military efforts to prop up Kiev.
According to CNN, he outlined the military capabilities that Ukraine would benefit from if supplied by the US, as part of a classified strategy presented to Congress by the administration of US President Joe Biden in September.
These capabilities reportedly include AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM). Designed by Lockheed Martin, the weapons have an operational range of 370km and can be deployed by a number of US-built platforms, including F-16 fighter jets, which Kiev already possesses.
The Ukrainian army has a similar capability with a longer range of 550km in the form of UK/French Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, which it has been firing from Soviet-era military aircraft.
Another capability reportedly mentioned by Cavoli is the Link 16, a military tactical data sharing system used by NATO members.
Kiev has long requested JASSMs and Link 16 systems, although the US has been reluctant to share these capabilities, CNN reported. Unnamed sources told the news network that the US government is concerned that Russia would be able to study secret military technology, should Kiev be allowed to operate it.
The report comes ahead of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group this week, which Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has touted as “historic.” The Western-led body convenes regularly to discuss military aid for Kiev.
Last month, Zelensky traveled to the US to promote his ‘victory plan’, which reportedly requires continued Western assistance, attacks with Western long-range weapons deep inside Russia, and other measures, which critics said amounted to a “wish list.”
In a regular update on Monday, Zelensky described his plan as a work in progress, which would be finalized “once we fully understand all the positions of our partners and the real possibilities for Ukraine.” He urged sponsors “to define how they envision the end of this war” and Ukraine’s future place in the world.
CNN reported that Biden’s strategy “defined victory only in vague terms of Ukrainian sovereignty and self-determination.”
