Volodymyr Zelensky did not return from Washington empty-handed.
At the end of a successful visit to the United States, the Ukrainian president returned to kyiv with two billion dollars worth of arms and military equipment.
If Congress allows it, it will also receive nearly $50 billion in additional aid in 2023. Above all, the American allies have approved the supply of the formidable Patriot air defense system, a cutting-edge weaponry that Ukraine did not have. until now.
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Objective achieved, therefore: it is mainly for this reason that the Head of State had made the trip, his first abroad since the start of the war.
But Volodymyr Zelensky probably returns to the country with some regrets.
The United States still denies it certain categories of weapons, which the main adviser to the Ukrainian president, Mykhaïlo Podoliak, had requested in a "
Christmas list
" published on Twitter in early December: tanks and long-range missiles, but also fighter jets or drones.
Long-range missiles: limiting escalation
If the United States delivered fairly early in the conflict HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), a very effective multiple rocket launcher against the Russian army, they remain intransigent on ATACMS missiles (Army Tactical Missile System) .
Recently, the
Wall Street Journal
revealed that the Pentagon had modified the 20 HIMARS sent to Kiev so that they could not fire these long-range missiles, capable of hitting a target over 300 kilometers away (compared to 80 for the missiles “
classics
”).
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Washington fears that these weapons will allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory and thus aggravate the conflict.
Asked about this at a joint press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, Joe Biden explained that sending such weapons risked breaking NATO unity.
“
The alliance does not seek to go to war against Russia.
She is not looking for a Third World War
,” he insisted.
Drones: not disclosing advanced technology
A modern weapon par excellence, the drone has been widely used by both sides since the beginning of the war.
Supplied by Iran, the Shahed-136 allow Russia to do significant damage in major Ukrainian cities.
For its part, Ukraine struck strategic targets in Russia in early December, several hundred kilometers from the border, without ever claiming them.
These attacks may have been carried out by old Tupolev Tu-141 reconnaissance drones upgraded and equipped with 100% Ukrainian long-range missiles or drones, which kyiv announced a few months ago.
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However, Ukraine would need American armed drones, in particular the MQ-1C Gray Eagle and the MQ-9 Reaper, which would allow it to attack a wider range of targets or to scout for artillery strikes.
However, Pentagon officials regularly express their concern about the delivery of such equipment.
Because if these drones were to be shot down or captured, Russia would be able to exploit their advanced technology.
Tanks and fighter planes: too long training for soldiers
It has been a red line since the beginning of the conflict.
While Ukraine was quickly supplied with Mig-29 fighter jets to contest the skies for the Russians, the United States has consistently refused to deliver its own fighter jets, including the F-16s.
Same refrain for combat tanks: Washington has never resolved to provide its M1 Abrams, used by a dozen countries in the world.
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For several reasons, as the
New York Times
explains : they are some of the most effective weapons in the US military, which does not wish to strip itself.
Above all, Pentagon officials have regularly claimed that Ukraine already has enough tanks and fighter jets from other countries.
Finally, the F-16 like the M1 Abrams are complex systems, which require several months of training and delicate maintenance.
