President Joe Biden of the United States stated that he is considering supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles. This announcement comes just days after his administration agreed to provide Kyiv with cluster munitions, despite opposition from human rights groups and politicians within the U.S.
The British newspaper, “The Daily Mail,” noted that these missiles have the capacity to strike targets within Russian territory and the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed.
Previously, the United States refused to provide Ukraine with “ATACMS” missiles, which have a range of about 300 kilometers, as this range extends into Russian territory.
Washington has repeatedly stated that it is supplying Kyiv with weapons that allow it to defend itself and that do not reach into Russia.
After a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Biden told reporters that he is considering providing Ukraine with long-range missiles.
When asked if he would supply Ukraine with “ATACMS” missiles, he stated the matter is under review.
During their conversation, Zelensky briefed Biden on the progress of the counter-attack his forces are launching against the Russian army.
Last week, the administration of President Joe Biden announced its decision to support Kyiv with cluster munitions.
Biden considered the decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions to be extremely difficult.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked the West to provide it with cluster munitions, but Western countries have refused to supply it with these weapons, which scatter bombs over a wide area and pose a threat to civilians even years after the fighting has stopped.
Over 100 countries around the world ban the use of this deadly weapon, including France and Britain, two of the United States’ closest allies.
