White House finalizes plan to expand Ukraine's range of possible attacks on Russia

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict in both Donetsk and Kursk, Politico on September 11 quoted a Western official and two informed sources as saying that the White House is finalizing a plan to ease some restrictions on how Ukraine can use US-funded weapons and better protect itself from Russian missiles.

According to Politico, one of the people involved in the debate said the talks were held behind closed doors among a small group of officials inside the White House. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

The details of the plan are still being finalized. But officials in Washington, London and Kiev have discussed in recent days expanding the area inside Russia that Ukraine could strike with US- and British-made weapons.

They also discussed how to deter cross-border attacks launched by Russia, including the US agreeing to allow Ukraine to use British long-range missiles containing US-made components to strike Russia.

The current talks between Washington and Kiev mark a significant change in tone from those the two sides held earlier this summer, and they signal that the Biden administration may be ready to accede to Kiev’s demands for the use of US-funded weapons.

There was a significant change in tone, signaling that the Biden administration may be ready to accede to Ukraine's requests for the use of US-funded weapons. Photo: Sky News

The White House National Security Council declined to comment. Asked earlier on September 10 whether the administration would lift restrictions on long-range weapons, President Biden told reporters: "We're working on that right now."

The talks have taken on new urgency in recent days after the US said it had evidence that Iran had successfully shipped ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. Both Tehran and Moscow have denied the allegations.

For months, senior US officials have resisted calls from Ukraine and other European countries to lift any restrictions on the use of US-funded weapons to strike deep into Russia. In May, the Biden administration decided to allow Ukraine to use certain weapons to strike into Russia, but barred Kiev from using longer-range missiles.

However, the situation on the battlefield has changed. Moscow is believed to have moved its high-value military assets out of range, so Ukraine, even if allowed, would no longer be able to attack these targets.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his British counterpart David Lammy were in Kiev on September 11 to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the arms issue, along with Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region and Russia's recent advances in Donetsk.

British defense chiefs have been in discussions with their American counterparts for weeks about getting U.S. approval for Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia. No decision has been made yet, according to a person familiar with the talks, but the issue will be part of discussions between President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when the two leaders meet at the White House on September 13.

A Pentagon spokesperson pointed to comments made by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Liaison Group in Germany, where he said, “I don’t believe any particular capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment. I think Ukraine has quite a significant capability of its own to take on targets that are out of range of ATACMS or even Storm Shadow.”

It is unclear whether the Biden administration will decide to lift restrictions on the use of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) that the US has transferred to Ukraine. This is the top weapon that Ukraine wants to be "unleashed" for its use, and also the weapon that the US is most "hesitant" about.

Additionally, U.S. officials have pointed out that because the military is no longer buying ATACMS, its own stockpile is being depleted by aid to Ukraine and is at risk of being depleted. The missile’s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, still produces hundreds of them each year, but the plan is to sell them to allies abroad.

Minh Duc (According to Politico)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/nha-trang-dang-hoan-thien-ke-hoach-mo-rong-pham-vi-ukraine-co-the-tan-cong-vao-nga-204240912095217039.htm