The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur explains the top stories of the week, from Zelensky’s "victory plan" to Biden’s policy on long-range missile strikes within Russia.
More than 2.5 years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, as Moscow continued to make rapid advances in the east and launch relentless missile attacks across Ukraine, Kyiv seemed to be facing a stark choice: make territorial concessions for an unjust peace or prepare for a prolonged war, sacrificing more
"It's for the individual allies to make these decisions, but it's important that we consult closely on these issues as we do," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
News that $6 billion worth of outstanding U.S. military aid to Ukraine could expire by the end of September if Congress doesn’t take urgent action is unsettling some in Kyiv, where the painful memory of a larger package delay that led to battlefield losses remains fresh. Delivering the
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she supports the decision of allies to give Ukraine the go-ahead, adding that Italy is committed to ensuring Ukraine can enter peace negotiations with Russia in the "very best conditions."
Key developments on Sept. 14, 15: * 103 Ukrainian POWs returned from Russian captivity, including 23 Azov fighters * At least 1 killed, 42 injured in Russian strike on apartment building in Kharkiv * Western aid not enough to equip 'even 4 out of 14' underarmed brigades needed on the front, Zelensky says
In recent weeks, Ukraine’s hopes have been buoyed that its Western allies will finally allow their long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has been able to attack Ukraine with relative impunity from its positions behind the border, while the
Ukraine's strikes deep into Russian territory have "broken" the faith Russian people hold that their country is powerful and safe, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Sept. 14.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin "will continue to support Ukraine militarily" so that the country "does not collapse," German media Welt reported.
ATACMS restrictions are "the subject of intense consultation among allies and partners, and will be (discussed) between President (Biden) and President Zelensky," U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Ukraine's hopes of being allowed to use Western-supplied long range missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory were put on hold once again on Sept. 13, after the leaders of the U.S. and U.K. stopped short of making the announcement Kyiv wanted. Anticipation had been high ahead of
"There is no change to our view on the provision of long-range strike capabilities for Ukraine to use inside of Russia," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine's use of Western long-range weapons against Russia would mean that NATO countries were directly involved in the war.
U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles are "pointless" in Ukraine due to their limited quantity and restrictions on strikes deep inside Russia imposed by Western partners, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 13 at the Yalta European Strategy conference.
Key developments on Sept. 12: * Russia claims to have recaptured 10 settlements in Kursk Oblast amid ongoing counterattack * Russia pushing toward Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast from several vectors * Ukraine downs Russian Su-30 aircraft above Black Sea, military intelligence claims * Zelensky urges the West to allow long-range strikes without distance limits
If the West plans to lift the restrictions only for a range that Russia has already adapted to, then "this is a purely political decision to relieve pressure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The U.S. and U.K. may be on the verge of what could be a hugely significant move regarding the war in Ukraine, with reports suggesting both countries might soon allow Kyiv to use their long-range weapons to strike targets deep in Russian territory. U.S. President Joe Biden
It remains unclear whether the decision on the long-range strikes will be taken during the meeting between U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden this Friday or later in September during a U.N. assembly in New York, the source said.
A small group of White House officials have been holding talks on expanding the area within Russia that Ukraine can hit with U.S.-supplied weapons, an official told Politico.
In response to a question about whether the U.S. would change its policy regarding long-range strikes, which President Joe Biden has reportedly considered in recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken answered cagily, saying that the U.S. has been willing to flexibly alter its strategy "from day one."
Key developments on Sept. 11: * Blinken, Lammy visit Ukraine as Kyiv awaits decision on long-range strikes * Russia claims counterattack against Ukraine in Kursk Oblast * Trump refuses to answer if he believes Ukraine's victory is in US interests * Russia claims drone attacks on Murmansk Oblast, 1,500 km from Ukraine * West
"If anyone is taking escalatory action, it would appear to be Mr Putin and Russia," Blinken said.
Their arrival comes amid mounting calls for the Biden administration to lift restrictions on long-range strikes deep inside Russia to allow Ukraine to better respond to Russian attacks.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the potential lifting of restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons is currently under consideration, Reuters reported on September 10.
At least 20 House Democrats and five House Republicans are calling on President Joe Biden to lift restrictions on Kyiv’s use of American long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russia, according to a letter sent to the president on Sept. 10 obtained and seen by the Kyiv Independent.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sept. 13 that he "fully anticipates" U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will discuss Ukraine's military needs when they meet on Friday, in response to a question about Kyiv's restrictions on long-range strikes inside Russia.
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and former finalist to be Kamala Harris's running mate, spoke with the Kyiv Independent and is the latest to say the limitations need to be reconsidered.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament, met with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson in Italy on Sept. 5 to discuss lifting restrictions on long-range Western weapons strikes deep into Russian territory.
Just before sunrise on an otherwise sleepy weekend near Moscow, a Russian eyewitness of Ukraine’s kamikaze drone attack on the Kashira Power Plant appeared stunned, unleashing an expletive-laden tirade with his wife alongside. "They f***g attacked the power plant! Wow, honey!" he said in a video posted on
Key developments on Aug. 28: * Ukrainian drones hit oil depots in Russia's Rostov, Kirov oblasts * Russian forces approaching town of Selydove in Donetsk Oblast, media reports * Ukraine has invested $7 billion in defense industry this year, Umerov says * Russia moves 90% of military planes beyond ATACMS range, US official claims
The U.K. backs the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine for strikes deep inside Russia but will not pursue the call publicly, fearing disagreement with the U.S., The Telegraph reported on Aug. 28, citing undisclosed sources.
Russia has responded to Ukraine's acquisition of ATACMS by moving most of its aircraft beyond the missiles' range, the unnamed official told the WSJ, citing a new U.S. intelligence report.
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