According to Politico journalists, the administration of US President Joe Biden does not plan to grant Ukraine permission to use long-range American weapons for strikes on Russian territory, as Washington expects to restart relations with the Kremlin in the future.
Points of attention
- The Biden administration is withholding permission for Ukraine to use long-range American weapons against Russia in hopes of restarting relations with the Kremlin in the future.
- Senators are pushing for the removal of all restrictions on American weapons by Ukraine, believing that the administration should act now before it's too late.
- The US allows Ukraine to use its own long-range missiles only for counter-battery fire, highlighting concerns over potential escalation in US-Russia relations.
- The Biden administration's stance is fueled by the prioritization of US national security and reluctance to take risks for Ukraine's sake.
- Despite some discussions of lifting restrictions before the elections, there are no guarantees for Ukraine, as officials fear it could jeopardize efforts to reset relations with Moscow.
The USA does not want to give permission to Ukraine to strike the Russian Federation with long-range American weapons
Journalists of the publication note that more than two years after the beginning of the large-scale invasion of the occupation army of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, Washington refused to give Ukraine permission to use long-range American weapons for strikes on strategic targets on the territory of the aggressor country.
This position is explained by fears about the escalation of relations between the United States and Russia.
Now there are some signs that Biden may want to do something important about Ukraine – maybe even lift some restrictions – before the election, since he's not running. There are no guarantees, but we heard that he is thinking about it - one of the representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine told the journalists of the publication.
It is noted that the US currently allows Ukraine to use its own long-range missiles for strikes on Russian territory only as counter-battery fire to hit Russian launchers directly near the border.
In early August, a bipartisan coalition of senators arranged a meeting with Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. During this meeting, the delegation had one, single message: the administration must change its position on the use of American weapons now, before it is too late.
The senators expressed their belief that the Biden administration should lift all restrictions, because if it doesn't and Ukraine loses, the White House will be known as not doing enough, even though it could.
What they say in the White House
The authors of the article note that such a position causes indignation among the representatives of the Biden administration, who are convinced that the USA has done more than all others in the matter of supporting Ukraine.
In addition, the Biden administration maintains the conviction that the United States should not risk its own national security for the sake of Ukraine.
Officials in certain quarters of the administration have told Ukrainians that the U.S. will eventually want to reset relations with Moscow, and lifting the restrictions could derail those efforts.
