New US military aid package to Ukraine will not include ATACMS – Reuters
The new US military aid package to Ukraine worth US$325 million is not expected to contain the ATACMS long-range missiles that Kyiv has been asking for in recent months to hit Russian targets in the deep rear.
Source: European Pravda, citing Reuters, referring to an unnamed American official
Details: The source told Reuters that the aid package will contain the second tranche of 155 mm cluster munitions and additional weapons for Ukrainian air defence, in particular the Avenger Air Defence System.
The package also includes TOW and AT4 anti-tank weapons, projectiles for HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and Javelin anti-tank systems. At the same time, it is still being finalised and may change.
Background:
- It is known that in recent months, Ukraine has been actively asking the United States to provide long-range ATACMS missile systems to hit targets in the Russian rear. In September, the Financial Times reported that the United States was close to making a decision to provide ATACMS to Ukraine.
- A new aid package is expected to be announced by US President Joe Biden during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, 21 September.
- Zelenskyy's visit to the US comes as the US Congress is considering a White House request for an additional US$23 billion in aid to Ukraine. But its approval is still uncertain, as there are serious divisions within the Republican Party on the issue.
- Part of the right wing of the Republican Party of the United States, led by Donald Trump, argues that the United States is giving Ukraine too much aid and should focus on domestic priorities.
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