The Pentagon recognizes Ukraineʼs need for long-range missiles at the current stage of the war. The US is currently thinking about how to meet this request.
This was stated by the US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs Colin Kahl.
"Regarding long-range missiles, we continue to hear interesting comments about them. I think itʼs helpful not to focus on a specific one. There is a need to hit beyond the front line and, without going into details, I will say that we recognize this need at this stage, we should think about how to help Ukraine overcome this challenge, but I will not decide in advance what kind of system it might be.", he noted.
The representative of the Pentagon emphasized that at every stage of the war, the US consults with the Ukrainian leadership and the military about what are the urgent needs of Ukraine. Talks on providing missiles will continue.
- American ATACMS ballistic missiles have a range of up to 300 kilometers. The Biden administration believes that providing these systems could be escalating because they could be used to target Russia itself. Currently, the maximum range of weapons that the US provides to Ukraine is approximately 80 kilometers. In August, the Pentagon declared that the Armed Forces did not need ATACMS yet. At the same time, Ukraine included them in the list of weapons necessary for the continuation of the counteroffensive.