President Joe Biden said Monday that the United States will not send a missile system that could reach Russia to Ukraine as Ukraine seeks longer-range weapons to support its combat.
Ukrainian authorities are asking Allies for longer-range weapons, such as the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), which can launch missiles hundreds of miles away.
“We are not going to send a missile system to attack Russia in Ukraine,” Biden told reporters outside the White House.
The Washington Post reported on Friday that the government is considering sending MLRS and another system, the High Mobile Artillery Missile System (HIMARS), as part of a future military support package. This move will allow Ukraine to launch missiles farther than it is today.
The missile system was a major demand for the Ukrainian authorities, the Post reported. Ukraine says it needs to stop Russia’s advance on the city of Lyman.
The Biden administration wants to help Ukraine defend itself, but is opposed to supplying weapons that could be used to attack Russia and escalate the conflict. Russian officials have warned that any country that supplies Ukraine with advanced weapons will face consequences.
On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the West had already declared a full-scale war against Russia.
According to the publication, the US government is comfortable sending missile systems to Ukraine, but wants to manage the risk of escalation by not sending the missiles further away.
The range of a typical missile launched by these systems is about 43 miles.
The Ukrainian military is currently using a US-provided M777 howitzer with a range of approximately 18 miles.
Thousands of people died in Ukraine on February 24, following Russia’s invasion, forcing millions to flee elsewhere. Despite the flow of weapons from Ukraine to Western allies, Russian troops continue to advance with weapons.
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Source: Metro
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