US President Joe Biden said Monday that he will not deliver Long-Range Rocket Launch Systems (MLRS) to Ukraine that can reach Russian territory, despite the fact that kyiv has repeatedly requested this type of weaponry.
“We are not going to send rocket systems to Ukraine that can reach Russia,” Biden told reporters Monday morning.
US media had reported that Washington was preparing to supply long-range multiple launch rocket systems to kyiv, after Congress approved additional $40 billion in aid to Ukraine.
However, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby did not confirm the shipment of the M270 MLRS, a highly mobile weapon with a range of up to 300 km.
kyiv also asked the United States for a second type of system: the M142 Himars, with a range of between 70 and 150 km, far superior to the M777 howitzer batteries, which are currently delivered to kyiv and have an effective range of no more than 40 km.
Ukrainian forces are encountering difficulties in the Donbas region, where the Russian offensive has intensified in key locations. Russian troops have advanced into the center of Severodonetsk, under fire for weeks.
Against this background, Ukrainian officials asked the West for more weapons.
“Some allies avoid supplying the necessary weapons for fear of escalation. Escalation, really? Russia is already using the heaviest non-nuclear weapons, burning people alive. Maybe it’s time (…) to give us MLRS ” tweeted Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency.
