Ukraine has asked to use Western long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russia for months. It argues that it needs those weapons to hit military sites that house Russian warplanes and that launch missiles into Ukrainian cities.
Those entreaties were expected to be a major topic of discussion on Friday as President Biden met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, who is trying to nudge the United States to give more latitude to the Ukrainians. Mr. Starmer would especially like Mr. Biden’s support for Britain to allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles to fire farther into Russia.
Neither leader announced any policy changes after that meeting. Leaving the White House, Mr. Starmer told reporters, “We had a wide-ranging discussion about strategy,” and a White House summary of the meeting said that the two countries had “reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine.”
Mr. Biden has been reluctant to approve deep strikes in the past, fearing escalation with Russia. But in May, he allowed Ukraine to fire a number of U.S.-supplied weapons just over the border to attack Russian military bases from which attacks into Ukraine have been launched, and he later expanded that permission.
Now, Ukraine wants long-range weapons. It is also seeking permission to use weapons it already has to hit targets deeper in Russia. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia warned on Thursday that if the United States and its allies allowed that, they would put his country “at war” with NATO.
The debate in the U.S. administration centers, in large part, on these weapons.
Storm Shadows and SCALPs
Britain and France have already sent Ukraine air-launched cruise missiles that, so far, have struck Russian targets in Crimea and in the Black Sea. These missiles have a range of about 155 miles and have been fired from Ukraine’s aging fleet of Soviet-era and Russian-designed fighter jets.
They are known as Storm Shadows in Britain and SCALPs in France (and are virtually the same model).
Britain is eager to allow Ukraine to use the Storm Shadows to strike farther into Russia. Mr. Starmer was hoping to receive Mr. Biden’s approval of that plan so the allies could present a united front.
Some analysts expect the United States to follow a pattern it established with Ukraine’s previous requests for weapons, like Abrams tanks, F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems: After long deliberations, Washington eventually allows its allies to move first in providing Ukraine with new capabilities or permissions, and then sometimes follows suit.
ATACMS
The Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS (pronounced “attack ’ems”), are American-made long-range missiles that are filled with 375 pounds of explosives and, depending on the model, can strike targets up to 190 miles away. The United States supplied Ukraine with ATACMS last year, but the Biden administration has so far withheld its approval for their use across the border into Russia.
Russia has now moved 90 percent of its air bases that house bomber jets out of ATACMS range, U.S. and European military officials said, in anticipation that Ukraine could soon be allowed to fire the missiles across the border.
Originally developed in the 1980s to destroy Soviet targets far behind enemy lines, ATACMS could also strike Russian ground-based air-defense systems that target Ukraine’s newly furnished fleet of F-16s, experts said.
JASSMs
Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, or JASSMs (pronounced “jazz ’ems”), are air-launched cruise missiles with a range of about 230 miles. These have not yet been provided to Ukraine, but a U.S. official said that the Biden administration was considering sending them.
The weapons carry 1,000-pound warheads and can be fired from F-16s. This means that with JASSMs, Ukraine could strike military targets well within Russian territory without leaving Ukrainian airspace.
Ukraine is believed to have received around a dozen American-made F-16s this summer, though officials have not said exactly how many.
The U.S. official said that even if Mr. Biden approved sending JASSMs to Ukraine, delivery might take months, and it is unclear whether Mr. Biden would allow Ukraine to fire these missiles into Russia.
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