Janice R. Andrews
On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said that his government is thinking about letting Ukraine use longer-range weapons in its current war with Russia. The comment came at a time when Ukraine is still asking its allies for more military help, and Western countries are still not sure how to escalate the war.
What did Biden say when asked if the U.S. would let Ukraine attack deep into Russian territory? “We’re working that out now.” The U.S. has been hesitant to give or allow the use of long-range weapons that could reach into Russia because they are afraid it could lead to a bigger fight or even a nuclear war. There are still worries that the war could spread to NATO territory or lead to a Russian retaliatory strike, even though Ukraine has asked for stronger military powers many times.
U.S. diplomats hint at possible talks
Earlier that same day, Antony Blinken, who is the U.S. Secretary of State, said that talks about using these powerful weapons might happen. Blinken told UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London that the U.S. would “look and listen” to Kyiv’s request to lift limits on the use of long-range missiles provided by the West.
Since Blinken and Lammy are going to Kyiv on Wednesday, these talks are expected to move faster. The goal of this official visit is to find out what Ukraine’s current defense needs are, as worries about Russia’s more aggressive actions grow.
Reports that Russia has gotten ballistic missiles from Iran have made the missile discussion more important than ever. These high-tech weapons make it harder for Ukraine to defend itself, which could make Tehran more involved in the war.
Iran’s Part in Giving Out Missiles
The fact that Iran gave Russia its Fath-360 missiles is a big step up in the tensions. Even though the U.S. and its partners warned against it, the transfer happened anyway, which made European countries very angry. It was France, Germany, and the UK that spoke out against Iran’s acts, calling them a “direct threat to European security.”
Because of this, European countries have taken quick steps to limit their contacts with Iran. For example, the government of the UK said that all direct flying flights between the UK and Iran would end. At the same time, Washington put sanctions on Iran Air and other Iranian companies that supplied arms to Russia. They said that Iran Air was helping the Russian economy by handling war logistics.
Iran strongly denies these charges. Nasser Kanani, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, called them “ugly propaganda.” He blamed the U.S. and its allies for the situation by saying that the West was wrong to send troops to help Israel in the current Gaza war. The fact that Iran is involved in Ukraine and provides Shahed drones has already made things difficult between Tehran and Kyiv. But giving them ballistic weapons could hurt international ties even more.
What Ukraine Did in Response to Iran’s Involvement
Ukraine has said that if the claims of missile supplies are true, it will have “devastating consequences” for its relationship with Iran. Heorhiy Tykhyi, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said that while specific acts of retaliation have not been planned, all options are still open.
Ukraine’s friendship with Iran got worse in 2022 because Iran gave Russia Shahed attack drones. Even though these drones can do a lot of damage, they are not as powerful or large as ballistic rockets. Iran is now giving Russia long-range nuclear weapons. This shows that the military ties between Tehran and Moscow are getting stronger, which will make the already unstable political situation even more complicated.
Concerns about strategy and the future of Western support
Even though Ukraine’s Western friends have given it high-tech weapons, many of them have put limits on when and how it can use them. People are worried that strikes deep inside Russia could lead to retaliation from Moscow, which could involve NATO countries in the war. Kyiv’s push to get rid of these limits shows how badly it wants to win the war, but it could turn off important Western allies.
The UK has been one of Ukraine’s most loyal allies, and they have said they are ready to let Ukraine use British-made Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russian military targets. During the joint news conference, however, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stayed cautious and refused to get into a thorough discussion of the problem.
At the same time that these talks are happening, there are more military actions by the Ukrainians inside Russian territory, mostly in the Kursk area. Kyiv’s recent victories have impressed its Western backers, but they have also made people worry about what will happen in the long run if the war spreads to Russian land.
More and more people want military aid
Long-range weapons are being talked about at the same time that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is still putting pressure on Western countries to send more military help more quickly. Zelensky has been angry about the slow deliveries and stressed how important it is to get advanced weapons quickly to stop Russian progress.
The UK promised Ukraine 650 new missile systems last week, but the speed of delivery is still a worry. As the war drags on, Kyiv’s ability to keep up its defenses depends a lot on continued help from the West. But Ukraine’s friends are still not sure what will happen in the long run if the war gets worse by using stronger weapons.
Biden and his staff are thinking about letting Ukraine use long-range missiles without any limits. If they decide to do this, it could be a turning point in the war. A move like this could make it easier for Ukraine to attack important Russian targets, but it also has the potential to make things worse with Moscow and start a bigger war that could include NATO. High-level talks between U.S., UK, and Ukrainian officials in the next few days are expected to shed more light on the future of military aid and political ties.
