It was disappointing to read in today's Washington Post that the Biden Administration is "in no hurry to provide Ukraine with long range missiles," apparently fearing that Ukraine would fire them into Russian territory when they're struggling to gain their territory back. The long range artillery missiles in question are the ATACMS with a range of 190 miles, which can be launched using existing HIMARS launchers. From the WaPo:
"In late May, Biden appeared to alter his previously firm 'no' on the possibility of ATACMS, the Army Tactical Missile System, saying for the first time that it was 'still in play.' Two weeks later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he and Biden had spoken about the missiles at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, but that no decision had been made.
But U.S. defense and administration officials familiar with the issue said that despite what one called a growing public perception of 'some sort of slow, gravitational pull' toward approval, there has been no change in U.S. policy and no substantive discussion about the issue for months. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to address the sensitive subject.
The Pentagon believes that Kyiv has other, more urgent needs than ATACMS, and worries that sending enough to Ukraine to make a difference on the battlefield would severely undercut U.S. readiness for other possible conflicts." (our emphasis)
"Other possible conflicts"? Which possible one is more important than Ukraine now? The Pentagon's and Biden's hesitancy (some would say timidity) to provide more impactful offensive weapons to Ukraine reflects a mindset not shared by most of our NATO allies: that this is a fight between Russia and Ukraine, and not fundamentally a struggle between Russia and free Europe, and the U.S. by treaty. Nations formerly under the Soviet Union's control -- Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Baltic States in particular -- see Ukraine's front lines as theirs, even if we don't. Foot dragging in providing needed weapons, whether M1A1 tanks or F-16s, prolongs the war and gives Russia time to re-arm and resist.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was on the defensive at the Aspen Security Conference on Friday about delays in arming Ukraine, and indicated some much-desired F-16s would be in Ukrainian hands by the end of the year. Ukraine is at a significant disadvantage with Russia when it comes to control of the skies over the occupied territory, a major factor if Ukraine needs to push Russian forces out of their country. That delivery of F-16s would mark some progress, unless the decision is reversed or the delivery delayed. We'll see.
