The American armed forces prepared a catalog of potential weaponry suitable for aiding Ukraine in its conflict against Russia.
In a supplementary report attached to a secret strategy document concerning the Biden administration's tactics towards Ukraine, which was given to Congress a month ago, General Chris Cavoli outlined various capabilities that the USA could offer Ukraine to enhance its military effectiveness. As per unnamed sources, the list contained the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, a kind of air-launched rocket, and the Link 16 communication system - a data-sharing platform common among US and NATO forces, mainly used for smoother communication between combat systems, particularly for air and missile defense commands. Ukraine has persistently requested these two tools, another anonymous source confirmed.
Cavoli's list did not explain why the USA hadn't given Ukraine these supposedly beneficial devices. Nevertheless, US representatives have previously voiced concerns about the possibility of sensitive technology falling into Russian hands, most likely the cause behind the hesitation regarding the Link 16 system. The air-to-surface missiles, which are launched from fighter jets, may not be advantageous to the Ukrainians unless they achieve air superiority, according to one source.
Now approaching its third year of conflict, Ukraine continues to implore the US to provide more advanced weaponry and to remove limitations on the usage span of long-range missile systems offered by the USA. With the US presidential election approaching rapidly, the US' support for Ukraine is uncertain, even as the US pledges to sustain Ukraine for at least the end of 2025.
The Ukrainian government continues to lobby intensely. During his meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House near the end of last month, President Volodymyr Zelensky carried a detailed list of targets within Russia that he desired to strike with US-provided long-range missiles, known as ATACMS, as per anonymous sources familiar with the discussion.
This list serves as a significant component of Zelensky's strategy to win the conflict. Biden, who has thus far barred the Ukrainians from deploying the missile systems for deep raids against Russia, didn't completely disregard the proposal, the sources indicated. However, he remained ambiguous.
The leaders agreed to carry on discussing the issue. However, Biden won't be meeting with Zelensky again in the near future after cancelling a trip to Germany for a Ukraine Defense Contact Group gathering this week, and it seems impossible that the US will revise its policy on long-range missiles, officials informed CNN.
In essence, US officials maintain that they are equipping Ukraine with whatever equipment their military deems necessary at the present moment to support its struggle. Officials also argue that the US' limited stock of long-range ATACMS systems would be more effectively utilized against targets in Crimea. The Ukrainians have already undertaken several successful strikes deep inside Russia using their own long-range drones, which have caused damage to Russia's defense industry, US officials asserted — drones with far greater range than the ATACMS.
US officials have further stated that Russia has relocated its most valuable targets beyond the range of the ATACMS. The Ukrainians, however, argue that there are several Russian assets within range, including military bases and production and logistics facilities, that would make for strategic targets.
As a means of ensuring that US security aid is Trump-proof, should former President Donald Trump win in November, the US and its allies have been working on strategies to ensure that Ukraine has sufficient resources through the end of 2025. NATO has set up its own facility for facilitating aid and military training, which launched in July. The Pentagon is also nearing the point of offering contracts to American private companies to travel to Ukraine and help with the maintenance and logistics of equipment, officials revealed, a fundamental aspect of ensuring that Ukraine's weapons and equipment remain functional at crucial moments.
In summary, the US is hopeful that 2025 will mark a turning point for Russia's ability to sustain its own war effort.
Russia has lost a substantial number of combatants in close to three years of warfare. To gain substantial ground on the battlefield, officials believe President Vladimir Putin will need to order yet another politically risky troop mobilization. Both US officials and independent analysts claim that although the Kremlin has managed to shield its economy from some of the effects of western sanctions briefly, there are indications that its economy may begin to reveal signs of strain by the end of the following year.
Putin once commented, "Americans have attention deficit disorder," CIA Director Bill Burns stated at a national security conference in Sea Island, Georgia, on Monday. "This is one of those situations where we must demonstrate our strong support for Ukraine because there is much at stake."
Nonetheless, critics argue that the administration's plan for achieving victory in Ukraine remains unclear. According to one anonymous source who perused the report, the strategic plan delivered to Congress defined success only in loose terms of Ukrainian sovereignty and self-determination. In a different classified appendix, it presented categories that could be used to evaluate achievement, such as reclaimed territory, but failed to provide benchmarks.
For now, the battlefield situation remains fluid. Russia has made gradual advances in the country's east, which officials view as Putin's primary priority. Ukraine earlier in the year managed to seize a substantial area within Russia that it continues to maintain control over, for now, a move that some officials contend may stretch Kyiv too thin across the eastern frontlines.
The ongoing politics surrounding Ukraine's military aid has led to intense lobbying by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who recently presented a list of targets for US-provided long-range missiles to President Joe Biden. Despite Biden's ambiguity, the issue is still being discussed.
Despite concerns about sensitive technology and the need for air superiority, the US continues to consider Ukraine's requests for advanced weaponry and has begun working on strategies to ensure Ukraine's military aid is Trump-proof.
