The Biden administration is still indecisive about granting Ukraine permission to launch long-range missiles deeper into Russia. U.S. officials are requesting more detailed information from Kyiv about the intended use of these weapons and how they align with the broader strategy for the conflict in Ukraine. President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the upcoming week.

There are concerns among administration officials that easing restrictions on the use of long-range missiles might have limited effectiveness and pose significant risks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of severe consequences if Ukraine is allowed to deploy these weapons against Russia and its NATO allies.

Despite arguments from U.S. defense officials that Ukraine’s arsenal of long-range missiles is limited and that the country already utilizes long-range drones to target Russian areas, the Biden administration remains cautious about expanding Ukraine’s missile capabilities. Ukrainian leaders argue that access to strike deeper into Russia is necessary to compel Russia to engage in peace negotiations.

While the U.S. currently permits Ukraine to utilize American-provided weapons for limited cross-border strikes against Russian forces, pressure is mounting from NATO allies for Ukraine to have more autonomy in deciding how and where to deploy these weapons in the conflict. Discussions around this issue have taken place during recent NATO meetings.

Ukraine is advocating to use U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for more extensive strikes into Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has discussed this matter with President Biden, seeking approval for Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles. As the Storm Shadow components are manufactured in the U.S., Biden’s authorization might be necessary for this expansion.

The use of long-range weapons by Ukraine will likely be a topic of ongoing discussions during the U.N. General Assembly meeting next week. U.S. officials aim to assist Ukraine in developing its combat objectives and strategies for employing long-range weapons effectively in the conflict.

Although some NATO officials support Ukraine’s right to conduct strikes deep into Russian territory for strategic advantage, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains skeptical about the potential impact of long-range missile capabilities. Austin believes that no single capability will be the decisive factor in the conflict and emphasizes that Ukraine has other means to target long-range objectives.