Ukraine war: US President Biden is apparently ready to supply ATACM missiles. © LIBKOS/dpa
Ukraine's demands for weapons are being heard by the US government: President Biden is apparently considering a delivery of ATACM missiles.
Washington D.C. – In addition to the imminent deployment of U.S.-made F16 fighter jets, Kiev is also hoping for the so-called ATACMS missiles. Joe Biden has now apparently hinted that the US could possibly supply Ukraine with a long-range missile system that Kyiv has requested to repel the Russian invasion. The president recently made his remarks outside the White House when asked by journalists about his response to Russia's intensified airstrikes on Ukraine.
ATACM missiles for Ukraine: Joe Biden suddenly ready to talk
An excerpt of Biden's conversation with the journalists was shared on Twitter. Given the current situation, Biden said Russia's actions were "not unexpected," adding, "That's why we must continue to give Ukraine everything it needs." Asked by journalists if it was time for the delivery of ATACMS missiles, Biden said: "That's still in the game."
Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of the US Army in Europe, is also confident about a delivery of ATACMS missiles. He told Newsweek on Tuesday that he believes the Biden administration will provide ATACMS to Ukraine "eventually": "It's just crazy and unnecessarily prolongs this war if we go so slowly and gradually," he said. Hodges had repeatedly demanded that Washington provide Kyiv with all the weapons it needs – especially long-range systems to enable the recapture of Crimea, which was occupied by Moscow in 2014.
In addition to fighter jets, Kyiv also asks for ATACM missiles for Ukraine
Kiev has long been asking the United States for the supply of ATACMS, a long-range surface-to-surface missile launched by the Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. Washington has been reluctant to deploy the missiles because it feared it would escalate the conflict started by Moscow.
So far, the US president has always refused to supply Ukraine with such weapons. "We don't want a war between NATO and Russia," Biden said, for example, in June when he announced the delivery of the HIMARS rocket launchers, which have now been used very successfully.
U.S. general criticizes Biden for reluctance to provide precision weapons
However, according to Hodges, Bidens is showing a "continued reluctance" in providing long-range precision weapons. It is "the result of their reluctance or inability to clearly define the desired strategic outcome and their unwillingness to say that they want Ukraine to win."
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However, the Biden administration has not yet spoken a word of power regarding an ATACMS delivery. A spokesperson for the US State Department told Newsweek that Washington "will continue to use a wide range of available tools to help Ukrainian forces defend against Russian aggression." "We continue to consult closely with Ukraine and are working around the clock to continue deliveries in support of Ukraine's courageous defenders," the statement added. (bohy)
