US defense officials blocked Ukraine from using US-supplied long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia since late spring as part of a Trump administration effort to push Vladimir Putin toward peace talks. A Pentagon review mechanism developed by Elbridge Colby governs use of US long-range weapons and systems that rely on US intelligence, and has denied at least one Ukrainian request to use ATACMS. The review also applies to Britain’s Storm Shadow because it depends on US targeting data. The process gives Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approval authority and coincides with tighter munitions controls amid dwindling US stocks.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Pentagon has blocked Ukraine from using US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, or Atacms. Two US officials told the outlet that on at least one occasion, Ukraine had sought to use Atacms against a target but was denied under a review mechanism developed by Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's undersecretary for policy, that governs how US long-range weapons or those provided by European allies that rely on American intelligence and components can be used.
Ukraine was previously given authority by the Biden administration to use the missile system against targets inside Russia in November after North Korean troops entered the war. Before the inauguration in January, Trump told Time magazine that the decision to allow Ukraine to use US weapons systems to attack targets inside Russia had been a mistake. I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done, he said.
Collection
[
|
...
]