In an appendix to the Biden administration’s classified Ukraine strategy report submitted to Congress early last month, General Chris Cavoli outlined a list of US weapons systems that could help the Ukrainian military fight more effectively.
The list includes the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, a type of air-launched cruise missile; and the Link 16 communications system, a data-sharing network used by the US and NATO that allows combat systems to communicate more seamlessly, especially useful for air defense command and control. Ukraine has repeatedly requested both systems, one source said.
Ukrainian servicemen fire a self-propelled gun towards Russian positions on the front line in the Donetsk region on September 27. Photo: AFP
General Cavoli’s list does not say why the United States would not provide these valuable systems. But U.S. officials have previously expressed concern about sensitive American technology falling into Russian hands. Air-to-ground missiles, fired from fighter jets, would not be useful to Ukraine unless it achieved some air superiority.
Nearly three years into the war, Ukraine is still asking the United States for more advanced weapons and to lift restrictions on how it can use long-range missile systems it has supplied. With the U.S. presidential election less than a month away, the future of U.S. support for Ukraine remains uncertain, even as the U.S. says it is working to ensure it provides Ukraine with what it needs to survive until at least the end of 2025.
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met President Joe Biden at the White House late last month, he brought with him a detailed list of targets inside Russia that he wanted to strike with the ATACM, a long-range missile supplied by the United States.
The list is a key part of Mr Zelenskyy’s “game plan” to win the war. President Biden, who has so far barred Ukraine from deploying missile systems that could strike deep into Russia, has not outright rejected the request, but has not committed to it either.
Overall, U.S. officials say they are providing Ukraine with everything the U.S. military assesses Kiev needs at this time to support its fight. Ukraine has carried out several successful strikes deep inside Russia with its own long-range drones, causing damage to Russia’s defense industrial base. U.S. officials note that the drones actually have a much longer range than the ATACM.
Ngoc Anh (according to CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/my-len-danh-sach-he-thong-vu-khi-co-the-vien-tro-cho-ukraine-post315952.html
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