Prominent Republican officials advocate for Biden to eliminate restrictions, enabling Ukraine to attack Russian targets with greater depth.
The message, dated on a Monday, mirrors recurring calls from the Ukrainian administration itself, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. It was dispatched before Secretary of State Antony Blinken's scheduled trip to the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday and as the Biden administration deliberates on Ukraine's plea for carrying out attacks deeper within Russia.
American authorities believe Blinken, who will be accompanied by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on his journey to Kyiv, will gather insights during his trip about how these extended-range attacks would influence Ukraine's overall battlefield strategy. The UK is also contemplating whether to permit Ukraine to conduct operations deeper within Russia utilizing its long-range system, the Storm Shadow.
Blinken expressed his anticipation of discussing this matter when Biden meets with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday in Washington.
"We'll be paying close attention to our Ukrainian allies. We'll both be providing updates to the prime minister, to President Biden in the subsequent days. And I firmly believe this will be a topic they'll address when they meet on Friday," Blinken stated in London on Tuesday.
The Republican legislators contend that these constraints "have impeded Ukraine's efforts to defeat Russia's war of aggression and have offered the Kremlin's forces a safe haven from which to attack Ukraine with impunity."
"It is long past due for the administration to reverse course and eliminate the remaining constraints on Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied weapons against legitimate military targets in Russia," the lawmakers penned.
The message was signed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Michael Turner, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Thomas Kean, and Helsinki Commissioner Richard Hudson. It takes issue with decisions made by the "Biden-Harris administration," however, it contrasts with views expressed by Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates, who suggest they may curtail assistance to Ukraine if they gain power. Former President Donald Trump has also repeatedly vowed to end the war.
Last week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin disputed the notion that lifting the constraints and striking deeper into Russia would represent a silver bullet, stating that "there's no one capability that will, in and of itself, be decisive in this campaign."
"There are numerous targets in Russia – a vast country, as we all know," Austin mentioned during a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on Friday. "And Ukraine possesses a significant amount of capability to address those targets through (unmanned aerial vehicles) and other means."
A US official revealed that "several hundred" ATACMS have been provided to Ukraine, with Ukraine reportedly employing the majority of them.
As with previous measures taken by the US to fortify Ukraine on the battlefield, concerns within the administration exist regarding how allowing Ukraine to strike further inside Russia might exacerbate the conflict and prompt Russia to accuse the US of indirect involvement in the war.
However, the Republican lawmakers asserted that "the administration's apprehensions regarding escalation have been invalidated since Day One of the war."
"Neither Ukraine's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Russia nor its military incursion into Russia's Kursk region – the first foreign occupation of Russian territory since World War II – have triggered a Russian escalatory response," they wrote.
The debate endures
The discussion over Ukraine's request is still unresolved, and some US officials anticipate that the administration will grant Ukraine's request, while others believe the ultimate response will be negative.
A Ukrainian lawmaker informed CNN that they hope the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia will persuade the administration to alter its stance. The US official noted that they had been tracking the anticipated delivery of the missiles for months and the US has "been accounting for it."
Nonetheless, Blinken revealed a readiness to revise the US stance on the topic during his press conference in London on Tuesday, stating that the US has consistently demonstrated a willingness to adjust and adjust support for Ukraine based on "battlefield conditions."
One purpose of the trip will be learning exactly what the Ukrainians demand at this juncture, towards which objectives, and what we can do to support those needs, Blinken mentioned.
US intelligence estimates that over 90% of Russian aircraft launching glide bombs and attacking Ukraine are based at airfields at least 300 km away from Ukrainian-controlled territory, making them inaccessible to ATACMS. The official explained that this number would likely continue to grow.
"Russia has recently relocated its glide bomb missions from two airfields, which were closer to the front, to airfields that are beyond the range of ATACMS," the official stated.
In their message, the Republican lawmakers argued that "numerous other legitimate military targets in Russian territory remain within ATACMS' reach."
"The Institute for the Study of War estimates that, excluding airfields, there are over 200 legitimate military targets within range of U.S.-provided weapons, including military bases, logistics nodes, fuel depots, ammunition warehouses, and command and control systems," they wrote.
Last month, senior Ukrainians presented US officials with potential targets in Russia they wished to strike during a visit to Washington. US officials reviewed their lists but did not ultimately come to a decision.
The US possesses a limited quantity of ATACMS available to provide Ukraine without jeopardizing US military readiness, and utilizing the weapons for attacks deep within Russia would deplete Ukraine's stockpile of ATACMS that could be used for other aspects of their military operation, including inside Crimea.
However, the Ukrainians claim that weapons production facilities within reach of the ATACMS inside Russia are valid military targets, a source informed CNN.
Ukraine expressing an interest in dialoguing with Russia to put an end to the ongoing conflict has sparked discussions. Despite US authorities not predicting negotiations to kick off in the near future, there are concerns about Ukrainians initiating dialogue with Russia before they are at their strongest to initiate such discussions.
In John Kirby's words, as the spokesperson for the US National Security Council, "It's President Zelensky's call if and when he decides to negotiate an end to this war. A negotiated peace seems probable, but the timing, conditions, and circumstances are all at Zelensky's discretion." Secretary Blinken's main message, according to Kirby, will be to ensure that when Zelensky is ready to make that decision, he does so from a position of strength. "That's what this trip is about," Kirby clarified. "It's not about coercion. It's about gaining knowledge."
The debate in American politics regarding Ukraine's request to strike deeper within Russia continues, with Republican lawmakers urging the Biden administration to eliminate remaining constraints on Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied weapons against legitimate military targets in Russia. The message, signed by several high-ranking officials, criticizes decisions made by the "Biden-Harris administration" and contrasts with views expressed by some Republican candidates.
As the debate persists, some United States officials anticipate that the administration will grant Ukraine's request, while others believe the response will be negative. The trip of Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv is expected to provide insights on how these extended-range attacks would influence Ukraine's overall battlefield strategy.
