Biden considering sending long-range JASSM cruise missiles to Ukraine
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Russia has repeatedly warned the West against providing Ukraine with missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory.
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US-made F-16 fighter jets fly in the sky over Poland's capital as they take part in a massive military parade to celebrate the Polish Army Day, in Warsaw, Poland, August 15, 2023. (AP)
The United States is reportedly considering the possibility of sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, according to a report by Politico, which said President Joe Biden was open to the idea of providing Ukraine with these advanced weapons, as the Pentagon explores ways to enable Kiev to launch the missiles from its fighter jets.
A senior Biden administration official cited by Politico noted that no final decision had been made regarding the potential transfer of these missiles, specifically the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM). The administration is currently working through the complex details of such a move.
Key considerations include the sensitive technology transfer involved and ensuring that Ukrainian aircraft can launch the missiles, each of which weighs 2,400 pounds (over a ton) and carries a warhead weighing 1,000 pounds (over 450 kilograms).
Discussions within the White House and the Pentagon are ongoing, with the official emphasizing that there is still significant work to be done before any missiles could be delivered to Ukraine. This includes confirming that Ukraine's Soviet-era aircraft and recently acquired US F-16s are capable of launching the JASSM at targets over 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) away.
The Pentagon declined to comment on whether it has approved the transfer of these missiles. Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen stated that a range of options is being considered to meet Ukraine's security assistance needs but refrained from providing further details.
The JASSM missile, developed by Lockheed Martin, was first deployed in the early 2000s. It has been rarely used in combat by the United States and has been shared with only a select group of close allies, according to Politico.
Currently, Ukraine possesses both air-launched and ground-launched missiles provided by the US, the UK, and France, with a range of approximately 200 miles (about 320 kilometers). However, restrictions on using these missiles inside Russian territory remain in place.
Strikes on Russia may lead to nuclear retaliation
US President Joe Biden taking the decision to allow Ukraine to attack Russian soil using US-supplied weapons exposes the deep political confusion and disarray within the United States, veteran Defense Department analyst and retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik.
"This decision is a continued sign of political disarray in Washington and within NATO leadership. The Biden administration is praying that Ukraine can continue some kind of resistance until early November," Kwiatkowski said in reference to the upcoming US election.
US President Joe Biden recently lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of US-supplied weapons against targets in Russian territory, though officials claim that Biden made the move "only to defend the under-fire" Kharkiv region against Russian forces.
The State Department clarified that the US has not authorized the use of long-range missiles, including ATACMS, inside Russia.
The decision clearly reflects that Biden is concerned Ukraine would have totally collapsed by the time the elections take place, Kwiatkowski said, and the Democrat would have nothing to show for the hundreds of billions of dollars he spent on Ukraine, so he is desperately willing to use any means possible to keep Ukraine standing until then, even if it meant risking a nuclear war with Russia.
"This political disarray, disorganization, and frustration has been obvious and growing as the militarily and economically weak Western coalition of the partially willing walks the tightrope of a proxy war against a nuclear power," Kwiatkowski said.
"This shift in Biden policy on Ukraine's use of US weapons inside Russia, around Kharkov only for now, is escalatory. It unleashes the Russian military as well, to bring a swift end to this war through force, rather than negotiation," Kwiatkowski said.
"A darker and just as possible strategy by the US administration is that they wish to incite a major Russian response to the US-UK-France Ukrainian escalation of a doomed war effort," the defense analyst underlined. "Best case for Biden, he is able to oversee a nuclear crisis that allows him to cancel or suspend elections, or otherwise silence his American critics in a time of nuclear 'war,'" she added.
Kwiatkowski, however, underlined that it would backfire in the face of the United States, not in a possible nuclear confrontation but in a strategic nightmare for the US, which is through the complete collapse of the European Union and NATO. "This latest Biden decision tells us he wants more Ukrainians to die and he wants the end of Ukraine as a wholly abstract problem," Kwiatkowski concluded in her interview with the Russian news agency.
Escalating western positions
French President Emmanuel Macron, during a state visit to Germany, advocated for Ukraine's right to "neutralize" Russian military bases used to launch missile attacks against Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on May 28, Macron emphasized that Ukraine should be able to target military sites but cautioned against striking other targets in Russia, especially civilian infrastructure.
"We think that we should allow them to neutralize military sites where missiles are fired, from where Ukraine is attacked," Macron stated. However, he added, "We should not allow them to touch other targets in Russia, and obviously civilian capacities."
NATO, in fact, joined in, also requesting that Kiev be permitted to strike inside Russia, with Stoltenberg stressing that Ukraine being denied "the possibility of using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very hard for them to defend themselves."
