‘US Delivers Long-Range Missiles To Ukraine’
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
OTTAWA/WASHINGTON/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – In an apparent u-turn, U.S. President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Washington would provide Kyiv with ATACMS long-range missiles, U.S. media report citing several officials.
Kyiv repeatedly asked Washington for the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to help attack and disrupt supply lines, air bases, and rail networks in Russian-occupied territory.
However, on Thursday, the White House did not disclose these deliveries as it announced a new $325 million military aid package for Kyiv to help it fight against invading Russian troops.
The Biden administration was considering shipping ATACMS to Ukraine that can fly up to 190 miles (306 kilometers).
Yet Biden was apparently reluctant amid concerns the U.S. delivered weapons could target sites inside Russian territory, which might lead to confrontations between nuclear-armed Russia and the NATO military alliance.
Broadcaster NBC News and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying President Biden pledged to his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky that Kyiv would get “a small number” of ATACMS missiles. The two leaders met at the White House on Thursday.
The WSJ adds that the weapons will be sent in the coming weeks. Among the mentioned sources were three U.S. officials and a congressional official, NBC said.
CLUSTER BOMBLETS
The Washington Post paper cites several people familiar with the discussions as saying Ukraine will get ATACMS armed with cluster bomblets rather than a single warhead.
Neither the U.S. nor Ukraine have officially confirmed the American media reports. Kyiv has made clear, however, that the weapons could boost its tough and bloody counter-offensive in the south.
“I believe that most of what we were discussing with President Biden yesterday… we will be able to reach an agreement [on],” Zelensky said on Friday during a visit to Canada. “Yes, [this is] a matter of time. Not everything depends on Ukraine,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Though Biden initially hesitated to provide Ukraine with modern weaponry, his stance has shifted dramatically.
Kyiv has already received high-precision Himars long-range rocket systems and Patriot air defense missiles from the United States.
The ATACMS deliveries would add to Ukraine’s ability to message Moscow that the war is far from over.
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