ANALYSIS – Following directly on the heels of Ukraine's highly successful missile strike on Russian warships in Sevastopol, Crimea, Team Biden may finally be close to approving the shipment of longer-range missiles to Ukraine, giving Kyiv the ability to inflict considerable damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory.
The administration has until now rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's requests for the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems known as ATACMS, which Kyiv says it needs to make major advances against Russia.
With a range of up to 190 miles, ATACMS could allow Ukraine to reach targets nearly four times further away than with the currently provided rockets for its U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and M270 multiple-launch rocket systems.
ATACMS come in various versions, from missiles with large high-explosive warheads to anti-personnel cluster-munition variants that drop hundreds of bomblets on targets.
Until now, Biden had rebuffed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's requests for the weapons, even after the United Kingdom and France sent comparable Storm Shadow missiles.
One concern was maintaining America's own stockpiles of ATACMS. But Biden's fear of Valdimir Putin, and escalation with Russia, is likely the biggest reason for his deferring the decision.
It is sad when the U.K. and France show more courage than the United States.
Team Biden's reason for Biden maybe changing his mind? ABC News reported that suddenly: “The U.S. has found it has more ATACMS in its inventory than originally assessed,” according to two U.S. officials.
However, the slow progress of Ukraine's spring and summer counteroffensive has underscored the need for additional weapons capabilities. And the recent Crimea strike has shown Ukraine's ability to use them effectively.
In addition to giving Ukrainian crews much greater standoff distance when striking Russian positions – making it more difficult for the Russians to fire back – ATACMS could also help Ukraine more easily reach targets in Crimea.
Reports that the Biden administration may be nearing a decision on sending the missiles come as Zelensky is expected to meet with Joe Biden and members of Congress after appearing at the UN's annual gathering in New York.
Still, as always, Biden is slow to decide.
As ABC News reported:
“They are coming,” said one official who had access to security assistance plans. The official noted that, as always, such plans are subject to change until officially announced.
A second official said the missiles are “on the table” and likely to be included in an upcoming security assistance package, adding that a final decision has not been made. It could be months before Ukraine receives the missiles, according to the official.
But pressed on the matter by ABC News, White House spokesman John Kirby said a decision hasn't been made.
“There's no decision on ATACMS right now,” Kirby said during the interview, in New Delhi, India.
If, or when, the Ukrainians receive the ATACMS, they will likely increasingly target “command and control, logistics hubs – especially ammunition facilities – and air bases, in Crimea,” noted Mick Mulroy, a former deputy secretary of defense.
This can only help Ukraine further isolate this strategic peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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Why does everyone say Biden will decide. His dementia is so advanced that he has to let Jill chair a committee meeting. He has no idea what is happening and can nit even properly read the teleprompter!
WHO is actually running, ruining, AMERICA?
The DNC and their Commy supporters. Thats who.
What took so long?
Trying desperately to involve the U.S. in a war that has nothing to do with us is insane, like pretty much everything else Demento does. They claim Russia will continue on inpt Europe if we don’t help! Putin can’t even beat Ukraine, let alone a solid front of NATO members, and he knows it. WE are being played…
The kickback opportunities there are unlimited. Doesn’t he and the family have enough already?
Biden to send revolutionary new weapon to Ukraine… Just gotta find an aircraft big enough to hold Chris Christy!
The demoRats and rinos are going to escalate us right into another world war.
This is, of course, pure insanity. The Lusitania was sunk because it carried ammo to a war in which we were not an official combatant. If Russia were to sink USN transports or shoot down USAF transports, they’d be fully-compliant with the laws of war.
We have no dog in this fight. Other than, of course, instigating it for what seem to be three reasons: 1) afgh having been lost, the complex needs a new vehicle for orders, 2) the need to hide the GAE biowarfare labs, 3) hiding DementiaJoe’s money laundering.
Best case for Ukraine would be for Russia to just nuke Kiev and get this stupid war over with and resume global shipments of grain & fertilizer. If vlad were to nuke DC on his way out, every sentient being in this planet would cheer.
This article should carry a WARNING:
BIDEN IS COMING CLOSER TO SEE WORLD WAR III AS HIS ONLY CHANCE!
And, as he did not hesitate to pick up what Obama started -but Trump interrupted!- there is no reason to believe he would not do so!
Trump had stated in 2020, that if Biden were elected as President, he would have us at war within a year.
Democrats across the land are all giddy, gleeful, and high-five’ing each other over Trump’s erroneous timeline prediction that came and went with no war in 2021.
They’ll use that against Trump during next year’s campaign season while WWIII is raging around the globe.
The Ukrainian entertainer and bad news Biden need to be exchanged for decent leaders that don’t promote war ! We know they both were installed by Obama who followed orders of the G20/World Order leaders plan to destroy America.