Biden Administration Faces Pressure Over Allowing Ukraine to Strike Russian Territory with US Missiles

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The Biden administration faces mounting pressure over whether to allow Ukraine to strike within Russian territory using U.S.-supplied missiles.

At a Glance

President Biden is pressured to permit Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike deep inside Russia.
House Republicans and high-level officials argue lifting the ban is essential for Ukraine’s defense.
Concerns over escalating the conflict and U.S. readiness complicate the decision.
The debate includes bipartisan support for easing restrictions.

Intensifying Pressure on the Biden Administration

President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers as well as international allies to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American-provided weapons to strike deep within Russian territory. The central argument for this change revolves around enabling Ukraine to target critical Russian military sites, which could disrupt operations that threaten Ukrainian sovereignty.

Several sources confirm Biden’s administration is evaluating whether to allow Ukraine to utilize the long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) for these strikes. Proponents, such as key Republican House representatives, assert that current restrictions on these systems have severely limited Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.

A notable letter to President Biden, signed by top Republicans including Michael McCaul, Michael Turner, and Mike Rogers, emphasizes the need to lift these restrictions. This letter underscores the argument that Ukrainian forces are at a disadvantage due to limitations on their use of American-made weaponry, claiming these restrictions “have hampered Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia’s war of aggression and have given the Kremlin’s forces a sanctuary from which it can attack Ukraine with impunity.”

4/ Two unspecified US officials told @CNN on September 11 that the Biden administration has not changed its policy of prohibiting Ukrainian forces from using US-provided ATACMS missiles to strike within Russia despite discussing the issue regularly. pic.twitter.com/5Z9JrKipR4

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) September 13, 2024

Bipartisan and International Dimensions

The push to change the current U.S. policy garners bipartisan support. Figures such as Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.) have also called for easing the constraints on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied weapons. The discourse extends internationally, with liberal and progressive former national security officials from both the U.S. and U.K. advocating for less restrictive provisions.

“As long as it is conducting its brutal, full-scale war of aggression, Russia must not be given a

sanctuary from which it can execute its war crimes against Ukraine with impunity,” reads their letter, raising the stakes in the continued geopolitical struggle.

This debate is compounded by strategic concerns over Iran’s potential transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia and the possible impacts on U.S. military readiness. Advocates for lifting the restrictions argue that Ukrainian access to advanced missile systems could include targeting Russian air bases to prevent new threats like glide bombs.

NEW: The Biden Administration’s limited policy change permitting Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to strike some Russian military targets in a small area within Russian territory has reduced the size of Russia’s ground sanctuary by only 16 percent at maximum. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/iSPtsiSMYA

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) June 10, 2024

Potential Policy Shifts

Despite the considerable pressure, some defense leaders remain skeptical about the decisive impact of such a policy change. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently expressed doubts that lifting restrictions on the use of ATACMS alone would change the war’s outcome, noting, “I don’t believe one specific capability will be decisive, and I stand by that comment. I think Ukraine has a pretty significant capability of its own to address targets that are well beyond the range of ATACMS or even Storm Shadow for that matter.”

Meanwhile, reports suggest the White House is finalizing a plan to ease some of the restrictions, potentially allowing Ukraine to expand its target list within Russia. Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy have been collecting data on the possible outcomes of such long-range strikes during their visits to Kyiv.

As this developing story unfolds, the balance between supporting Ukraine and averting a larger conflict continues to be a precarious tightrope for the Biden administration. The decision on whether to lift the restrictions will undoubtedly impact the strategic landscape in Eastern Europe and the broader geopolitical sphere.