On July 22, 2023, The Biden Administration and the Pentagon refused to provide long range missiles to Ukraine, since it would hurt diplomatic relations and would weaken the U.S. military.
The U.S. refuses to give out the missiles to Ukraine due to diplomatic reasons. Alex Horton, a writer of the Washington Post wrote, “The ATACMS would allow Ukrainian forces to target the farthest reaches of Russian-occupied Crimea from their own current front lines.”. Using these missiles would allow Ukraine to destroy the 12-mile Kerch Bridge and could annihilate the Russian naval base at Sevastopol. These missiles could hurt the U.S.’s diplomatic relations with Russia if used to destroy those structures.
Ukraine has asked for ATACMS from the U.S., but what makes them so special? Lara Jakes, a writer of the New York Times wrote that, “the ATACMS, which have a range of about 190 miles, or about 40 miles more than the missiles France and Britain are providing.” The ATACMS are about 13 feet long with a diameter of 2 feet. These ATACMS have the range to go to the outermost part of Russia and the occupied land in places such as Crimea. These missiles are also valuable since they can be fired out of many other U.S. missile launchers.
Another reason could be that the U.S. have a limited amount of missiles. Alex Horton, Washington Post writer, wrote, “sending enough to Ukraine to make a difference on the battlefield would severely undercut U.S. readiness for other possible conflicts. ” The U.S. has a fixed amount of missiles made each year , with most of them being exported to other countries. With many of the U.S.’s own stock of ATACMS being shipped to Ukraine and some of which cannot be transported over long distances would lead to disaster. Giving Ukraine missiles would be a huge detriment to the U.S.
Despite the fact the U.S. have declined Ukraine’s request for long ranged missiles, Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister has shown multiple times that he won’t stop asking for missiles. He has said many times that they just need more weaponry.
If the U.S gave missiles to Ukraine it could hurt diplomatic relations with Russia if used, and that It would also weaken the U.S.military for future conflicts. With all these reasons it is enough to show why the U.S. decided to not give long missiles to Ukraine.
The U.S. refuses to give out the missiles to Ukraine due to diplomatic reasons. Alex Horton, a writer of the Washington Post wrote, “The ATACMS would allow Ukrainian forces to target the farthest reaches of Russian-occupied Crimea from their own current front lines.”. Using these missiles would allow Ukraine to destroy the 12-mile Kerch Bridge and could annihilate the Russian naval base at Sevastopol. These missiles could hurt the U.S.’s diplomatic relations with Russia if used to destroy those structures.
Ukraine has asked for ATACMS from the U.S., but what makes them so special? Lara Jakes, a writer of the New York Times wrote that, “the ATACMS, which have a range of about 190 miles, or about 40 miles more than the missiles France and Britain are providing.” The ATACMS are about 13 feet long with a diameter of 2 feet. These ATACMS have the range to go to the outermost part of Russia and the occupied land in places such as Crimea. These missiles are also valuable since they can be fired out of many other U.S. missile launchers.
Another reason could be that the U.S. have a limited amount of missiles. Alex Horton, Washington Post writer, wrote, “sending enough to Ukraine to make a difference on the battlefield would severely undercut U.S. readiness for other possible conflicts. ” The U.S. has a fixed amount of missiles made each year , with most of them being exported to other countries. With many of the U.S.’s own stock of ATACMS being shipped to Ukraine and some of which cannot be transported over long distances would lead to disaster. Giving Ukraine missiles would be a huge detriment to the U.S.
Despite the fact the U.S. have declined Ukraine’s request for long ranged missiles, Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister has shown multiple times that he won’t stop asking for missiles. He has said many times that they just need more weaponry.
If the U.S gave missiles to Ukraine it could hurt diplomatic relations with Russia if used, and that It would also weaken the U.S.military for future conflicts. With all these reasons it is enough to show why the U.S. decided to not give long missiles to Ukraine.