The announcement came as Blinken was on a rare joint tour with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy after the two top diplomats traveled together to the Ukrainian capital to underscore their commitment to the country in its war with Russia. Ukrainian officials had pressed the visitors to allow them to use Western-supplied long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.
Blinken said he would “take that discussion back to Washington to brief the president.”
“On behalf of the United States, we have adapted as the needs and the battlefield have changed. And I have no doubt that we will continue to do so as this evolves,” Blinken said at a news conference.
The diplomatic visit came as Russia’s larger and better-equipped military advances on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, bombarding the country with missiles, glider bombs and drones that have caused many civilian casualties.
Lammy said the two-and-a-half-year conflict was at a “critical” point following Ukraine’s audacious incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last month as it struggles to fend off airstrikes by its neighbour on towns across the country. “We extend our deepest condolences for the shocking attacks we have witnessed, for the loss of civilian life, particularly women and children – horrific, barbaric, unbelievable,” Lammy said.
He noted that Britain is spending 3 billion pounds ($3.9 billion) a year to help Ukraine, but relations between Ukraine and its Western partners have been increasingly strained by Kiev’s repeated calls for the West to authorize the use of long-range weapons from the United States and other allies to strike targets further away from Russia.
That issue has become more urgent given the latest report of Russia’s acquisition of ballistic missiles from Iran, but Western leaders have been reluctant to pursue the request for fear that if granted it could escalate the war.
U.S. President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-supplied missiles across the border into Russia in self-defense, but has greatly limited the distance at which they can be fired. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped those limitations would be changed. “We have some firm decisions, at least,” he said. “For us, it’s very important.”
Zelensky said he hoped to speak with Biden later this month and noted that U.S. military and financial support was crucial. “We rely heavily on it and, frankly, we cannot succeed without it,” he said.
But U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week rejected the idea that long-range strikes would be a decisive factor. “I don’t think any one capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment,” Austin told a meeting of allied military leaders in Germany. The Ukrainians have other means of attacking long-range targets, he added.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Lammy he hoped an agreement could be reached on using long-range means “to strike the territory of our enemy.” “We expect your help and support in this matter.” Shmyhal called the meeting with Lammy in Kiev “intense,” but did not elaborate in his post on his Telegram channel.
Ukraine is likely to face a tough winter ahead. Its power grid is under severe pressure after Russian missiles and drones destroyed around 70% of the country’s generating capacity.
Officials in kyiv will also have to deal with the outcome of the U.S. election in November, which could produce major policy shifts in Washington. Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday in a presidential debate that he wants the war to end, but he did not say clearly that he wants Ukraine to win. The latest U.S. aid package includes $325 million in energy support to help repair and restore Ukraine’s power-generating facilities, provide emergency backup power for critical services and strengthen the physical security of energy infrastructure.
Some $290 million will fund food, water, shelter, health care and education programs for needy Ukrainians at home and refugees outside the country. The remaining $102 million will be used for demining work. Late last week, the United States announced it would send an additional $250 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, including air defense missiles and artillery. Top U.S. and British diplomats arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland.
Blinken traveled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, calling the move a “dramatic escalation” of the war. Referring to those missiles, Shmyhal added: “Russia’s use of weapons from its terrorist allies to attack Ukraine continues its genocidal war and terrorism on our territory. We must be able to respond to that terrorism in kind by destroying military targets on its territory to ensure greater security for our citizens.”
Wednesday’s visit came ahead of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s planned trip to Washington, where he will meet Biden at the White House on Friday. Ukraine’s request for permission to strike Russian targets will be included in the discussion.
(With contributions from the agency)
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