Report: US Remains Unconvinced on Ukraine's Possible Use of Long-Range Weapons in Russia
Story
Above: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 11, 2023. Image credit: Olivier Matthys/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
- The US, under the administration of Pres. Joe Biden, remains unconvinced that it should grant Ukraine authority to use long-range Western weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, according to US officials who spoke to the Associated Press this week.
- As Biden and Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepare to meet next week, US officials said they have asked Ukraine to elaborate on how such weapons — if provided — would be used in line with Kyiv's war objectives.
- When Biden and Zelenskyy meet at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy is also expected to present the US with Ukraine's "victory plan" — what he described as a plan that would push Russia to seek peace in the conflict.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Because of current restrictions on long-range weapons, Russia simply moves its weapons out of range, hampering Ukraine's ability to put any pressure on its military. Ukraine has waited too long to receive these permissions.
Pro-Russia narrative
Should NATO countries lift restrictions and allow their long-range weapons to strike Russia, Moscow will have no choice but to see this as NATO's direct involvement in the war and respond accordingly. This would be a fundamental escalation of the conflict — the West needs to tread carefully.
Metaculus Prediction
There is a 20% chance that Russia will have significantly expanded its controlled territory in Ukraine on Jan. 1, 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
