A group of 17 high-ranking officials from the United States and United Kingdom have written an open letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lemmy, urging them to remove restrictions on Ukraine‘s use of Western-supplied weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory. According to NV, the officials are calling for the restrictions to be lifted in order to allow Ukraine to strike Russian logistics and airfields, which would help alleviate pressure on the frontlines.
Ukraine has been requesting for months that its allies lift the restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against targets within Russia. These restrictions prevent Ukraine from effectively responding to Russian aggression, particularly through the use of glide bombs. In an interview with Sky News, Blinken was asked if US President Joe Biden is considering lifting the restrictions, to which he responded, “We never rule out. But when we rule in, we want to make sure it’s done in a way that can advance what the Ukrainians are trying to achieve.”
The open letter, which was sent ahead of the officials’ planned visit to Kyiv, states, “We urgently call on you to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-provided weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia. Our countries have made the commendable decision to equip Ukraine with long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles, but these restrictions limit Kyiv’s ability to use them effectively.” The signatories argue that removing these limitations would not lead to escalation from Moscow, citing Ukraine’s previous strikes on territories that Russia considers its own, such as Crimea and Kursk.
The letter also addresses recent reports of Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, stating that Ukraine should have the right to use Western-provided weapons to destroy facilities housing these missiles, as well as over 200 other Russian military and paramilitary facilities that are within range of Ukrainian ATACMs. Recent media reports have claimed that Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of ballistic missiles, which would further strengthen Russia’s forces in their ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Among the 17 signatories are retired General Philip Breedlove, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, retired General Wesley Clark, former US Deputy Secretary of State Paula J. Dobriansky, and former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. The open letter comes as Blinken and Lemmy prepare for their joint visit to Kyiv on 11 September, where they are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other high-ranking government officials.
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