This high-level approval process, established by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, determines whether Ukraine is permitted to use long-range weapons produced by the US, or supplied by Europe but dependent on US intelligence and components.
According to the process, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has the final say on whether Ukraine can use ATACMS missiles. Ukraine has requested at least once to fire ATACMS at a target in Russia, but was denied, two US officials said.
This has prevented Ukraine from firing any ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles at targets within Russian territory since late spring of this year, the WSJ reported on 23/8, citing US officials.
Neither the US Department of Defense nor Ukrainian officials have commented on the information.
 |
An ATACMS missile launches from a platform during a test in the US. Photo: Lockheed Martin |
An ATACMS missile launches from a platform during a test in the US. Photo: Lockheed Martin
Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden approved the supply of HIMARS-launched ATACMS ballistic missiles to Ukraine and gave them the green light to use these missiles to attack Russian territory. With a range of about 300 km, ATACMS cannot reach Moscow if launched from the Ukrainian border.
President Donald Trump called the move "stupid, a big mistake," and questioned why his predecessor did not consult him during the transition period.
After the first launches on 19/11/2024, Ukraine began to reduce the frequency of use of these weapons. Russian forces have also repeatedly intercepted all ATACMS missiles before they reached their targets.
US officials said the last batch of ATACMS approved under the Biden administration arrived in Ukraine in the spring of this year, and Kyiv has very few of these missiles left.
The White House chief is working to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The US president has met separately with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts and wants to organize a summit between the two leaders to end the war that has lasted more than three years.
However, the Kremlin affirmed that now is not the right time to hold a direct meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. On 22/8, Trump warned that Russia could face sanctions or heavy tariffs if negotiations do not progress.
Nhu Tam (According to WSJ, Reuters)
