- US officials say there's been no change in US policy on sending ATACMS, despite Ukraine's pleas.
- Kyiv has repeatedly called on the US to send the powerful long-range missiles.
- No major discussions on the issue have taken place for months, officials told The Washington Post.
US defense officials said the Biden administration remains hesitant to provide long-range ballistic missiles to Ukraine, despite reports the US was considering sending the weapons earlier this month, according to The Washington Post.
They told the outlet there had been no substantive discussions on providing the Army Tactical Missile System, the ATACMS, to Ukraine, for months despite President Biden's remarks that the missiles were "still in play" in May.
The ATACMS are missiles with a range of about 190 miles, which could strike Russian targets beyond the front line and threaten any Russian base or ammunition depot in Ukraine, according to a retired US general.
ATACMS not a priority and could escalate the conflict
US resistance to sending ATACMS to Ukraine is partially down to fears that it could trigger Russian escalation of the conflict.
But the Pentagon is holding firm on its stance that the ATACMS are not a priority for Kyiv's forces, per the outlet. It remains concerned that sending enough missiles to Ukraine would deplete the US's limited stock, weakening its response to other potential conflicts, officials told The Post.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking hundreds of missiles from the US. "Without long-range weapons, it is difficult not only to carry out an offensive mission but also to conduct a defensive operation," Zelensky said during a press conference earlier this month.
Ukraine's forces, engaged in a counteroffensive, have been forced to advance slowly on foot in the face of dense Russian minefields and an area of landmines the size of Florida. Yesterday, Zelenskyy told the Aspen Security Forum that Ukraine's counteroffensive was poised to "gain pace."
Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelenkyy's office, told the Forum that a decision on the ATACMS was at the top of Ukraine's list of security needs, per The Post.
No shift despite US lawmaker calls
The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution calling for ATACMS to "immediately" send the missiles to Ukraine earlier this month.
But one official familiar with the issue told The Post that the US position remained firm despite the perception that there was "some sort of slow, gravitational pull" towards sending the missiles.
The UK announced it sent Ukraine a number of Storm Shadow cruise missiles in May, which have a range of around 140 miles, according to The Post. The UK's Defence Minister Ben Wallace said the missiles were striking their targets with "accuracy" and "almost without fault."