The top US military commander in Europe has compiled a list of weapons systems the US has that could help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and the administration of President Joe Biden has not yet provided, CNN reports.
Among them are air-to-surface missiles and a communications network used by NATO.
In an appendix to a classified report on the Ukraine strategy that was submitted to Congress early last month, General Chris Cavoli outlines the list.
In his report, Cavoli did not address the question of why the US did not provide systems that he believed would be useful. But U.S. officials have previously expressed concern about the danger of sensitive U.S. technology falling into Russian hands, which one source said was likely a motive for the holdup with the Link 16 system. Fighter-launched air-to-surface missiles may not be useful for the Ukrainians unless they achieve some level of air superiority, the source added.
Nearly three years after the war began, Ukrainians are still asking the US to provide more advanced weapons and lift restrictions on how long-range missile systems provided by the US can be used. And with the US presidential election less than a month away, the future of US support for Ukraine remains uncertain, although the US says it is working to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to last at least until the end of 2025.
The list is a key part of the "winning plan" of Zelensky for winning the war. Biden, who has so far barred the Ukrainians from deploying deep-strike missile systems in Russia, has not completely rejected the request, the sources told the outlet. But ultimately the answer remains non-committal.
Kiev does not need Washington's permission to retaliate against targets deep inside Russia, but it can use weapons it produces itself, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on October 1.
"Ukraine does not need our permission to strike Russian targets. They are a sovereign state and can use weapons they produce themselves. "Which is a lot if you look at the programs they've put in place in the last year," Miller said.
"And if you look at the weapons that we have provided them, we have made it clear that they can use them to strike across the border against Russian targets carrying out attacks," he added.
The issue of using long-range Western missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia was also one of the key issues during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the United States last week. Kyiv has not yet received permission for such strikes.
On Thursday, the US president announced an additional $8 billion in military aid to Ukraine.