US President Joe Biden is unlikely to announce any decision on using Western long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory following his meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on September 26 in Washington, according to The Times, citing sources.
A NATO country diplomat stated that this is “really a British-American decision” and added that “the key issue is we don’t actually know where the red lines are.” The diplomat also claimed that the “level of threat” from Russia “has never been higher.”
The publication suggested that even a decision to strike deep into Russian territory is unlikely to change the course of the conflict. Russia has reportedly moved its aircraft and missile systems beyond the range of Western weaponry currently in use in the conflict. The paper noted that increasing Ukraine’s domestic military production and expanding the use of long-range drones could be more beneficial for Kiev than relying on Western long-range missiles, which are in limited supply.
Military analysts and diplomats consulted by The Times generally agreed that Ukraine has no short-term prospects of pushing Russian forces out of eastern Ukraine. One source indicated that any negotiations would be “very, very, very difficult and painful for Ukraine.”
At the same time, the publication emphasized that Western elites have no clear vision of how the conflict could end. According to The Times, a freeze in the conflict along the current front line and the establishment of Ukraine’s neutral status, a suggestion made by Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance, would be seen as “a catastrophic outcome” by several NATO officials. One Western diplomat asserted, “That certainly can’t be the basis for negotiations.”
On September 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine is incapable of striking deep into Russian territory without Western support, as such operations require satellite intelligence and flight data. He pointed out that NATO countries are now not only discussing the possible use of Western long-range weapons by Kyiv but are also debating whether to become directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. Putin said that Russia would make decisions based on the threats posed to the country. Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted that Moscow is aware of the West’s decision to allow strikes deep into Russian territory and the signals sent to Kyiv. He warned that Russia will respond to such strikes “in a way that will be strongly felt.”
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS