Ukraine is planning to submit a list of targets inside Russia that Kyiv could strike with American-supplied long-range weapons to top U.S. national security officials, Politico reported on Aug. 26, citing unnamed sources.
Kyiv has long argued that restrictions on the use of long-range weapons are stifling its war effort, while Washington claimed that allowing Ukraine to hit deep into Russian territory with its weapons could be a cause for escalation.
Ukraine has dismissed these arguments and has ramped up pressure to lift the ban in recent weeks following the Kursk incursion on Aug. 6. The White House has not budged on its position, despite some U.S. politicians backing Kyiv’s demands.
The Ukrainian leadership has already provided Washington with a list of some potential targets on Russian soil earlier, but the new list is expected "to be more tailored," according to Politico.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, will visit Washington this week and present the list to the Biden administration, three sources familiar with the matter told Politico.
Some Ukrainian officials, as well as an unnamed Democratic lawmaker, told Politico that they believe the Biden administration is considering lifting the restrictions "in the coming days."
Both Kyiv and Washington did not comment on these reports.
The U.S. permitted Ukraine in June to strike Russian military targets just across the border but maintained its ban on attacks deep inside Russia with long-range arms like ATACMS.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine’s capture of the Russian town of Sudzha, located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine, shows that there are no red lines when it comes to Russian escalation.
Western countries have largely allowed Ukraine to use their arms in the incursion, but the U.S. and the U.K. have maintained their restrictions on the use of long-range arms like ATACMS or Storm Shadow.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
