‘No consensus’ on Ukraine missiles – Biden
US President Joe Biden has said there is still no agreement within his administration on whether to allow Ukraine to use foreign-made long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
The statement came days after Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky renewed his call to lift the restrictions.
Biden clarified White House stance before boarding Air Force One at Berlin Brandenburg International Airport on Friday.
Asked whether he had changed his mind about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Biden replied: “Right now, there is no consensus for long-range weapons.”
A reporter then asked Biden what would have to happen for Washington to revise its position, to which the president said: “I’m not going to speculate.”
Biden reaffirmed that, despite declining Zelensky’s request, Washington would continue to support Kiev. “We’re going to stay with Ukraine. We’re going to make sure they continue to have capabilities,” he told reporters.
The statement came two days after the US announced a new military aid package worth $425 million, which will include additional anti-air and anti-tank missiles, as well as artillery shells.
Unveiling his “victory plan” to Ukrainian lawmakers this week, Zelensky renewed his call to allow the use of longer-range weapons “on the whole Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia and on the territory of Russia” and asked foreign partners to provide Kiev with “appropriate” missiles and drones. Ukraine had previously submitted a revised list of proposed targets for US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
Washington has so far refused to authorize the use of ATACMS for targets far inside Russia, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin argued last month that the change would not “be decisive in this campaign.”
Moscow has warned that an increase of military aid to Kiev would trigger a new wave of dangerous escalation. A decision to greenlight the use of longer-range weapons would push NATO countries closer “war with Russia,” President Vladimir Putin said in September.
