The Donald Trump administration is giving the Ukrainian military “deeper strike capabilities” allowing it to hit targets farther into Russia, according to Matt Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO.
Newsweek contacted the Pentagon along with the Russian and Ukrainian ministries of defense for comment on Saturday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
President Trump has made a concerted effort to end the Ukrainian war, meeting Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. However, Putin has thus far made no concessions amid calls for a ceasefire and has not committed to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in person.
Trump could be hoping the supply of fresh “deeper strike capabilities” to Ukraine will bring Putin to closer to a peace deal.
What To Know
Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Whitaker said: “We’re giving some deeper strike capabilities and most likely the Ukrainians are going to use them and that obviously is much different from what Joe Biden did.”
It is unclear what capabilities or weapons systems Whitaker was referring to. Ukraine has repeatedly requested permission to use U.S.-supplied weapons systems to hit targets farther into Russia.
The Joe Biden administration greenlit Kyiv’s use of American Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles as it left office last year. ATACMS have a range of roughly 190 miles.
Kyiv had long clamored for permission to use long-range Western weaponry far across the border. Ukraine instead turned to its homegrown drones to strike hundreds of miles into Russian territory.
During his Fox News appearance, Whitaker said Trump was using a two-pronged strategy involving peace talks and pressure in a bid to end the war, which began in February 2022 when Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On Friday, the U.S. State Department said it had approved the sale of 3,350 extended range attack munition (ERAM) missiles to Ukraine, for an estimated cost of $825 million.
Whitaker said that in addition to the billion dollars in arms that have been sold directly to Ukraine, the U.S. is selling “about $1 billion” to Ukraine each month which is now being paid for by NATO allies, rather than by the American government itself.
On Thursday, Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv which Ukrainian authorities said involved nearly 600 drones, two Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, 20 cruise missiles and another nine ballistic missiles.
Ukraine has been launching its own strikes in Russia, with a particular emphasis on targeting oil refineries. During his Fox News interview, Whitaker said Ukrainian attacks had “taken out about 20 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity” over the past month.
The Trump administration has also imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on imports from India in response to the country’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil.
What People Are Saying
Speaking to Fox News, Whitaker said: “President Trump knows all the cards he has still left to play. But he also understands that he needs to keep Vladimir Putin at the table, as well as Zelensky at the table. Is it going to happen overnight? Most likely not. But I think we’re on the right path and both sides are still talking, and that is a good thing.”
The ambassador added: “This is not Donald Trump’s war, but he certainly wants the killing to end; he wants these strikes on the cities in Ukraine to end.”
Speaking to Agence France-Presse on Friday, a White House official said: “President Trump and his national security team continue to engage with Russian and Ukrainian officials towards a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war.
“As many world leaders have stated, this war would have never happened if President Trump was in office. It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen what “deeper strike capabilities” the U.S. has provided to Ukraine and what impact they will have on the battlefield.
The post Trump Giving Ukraine Capability to Strike Deeper Into Russia: NATO Ambassador appeared first on Newsweek.
