Trump giving Ukraine 'deeper strike capabilities,' NATO envoy says after missile sales deal
U.S. President Donald Trump is making sure Ukraine can defend itself against Russia by giving it "deeper strike capabilities," U.S. NATO Ambassador Matt Whitaker told Fox News on Aug. 29.
The envoy made the comments when asked about a new U.S. arms deal for Ukraine worth close to $1 billion for Ukraine.
Washington recently greenlit a European-funded $850 million sale of 3,350 Extended-Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles, which can strike targets at a range of 240-450 kilometers (150-280 miles).
The State Department also more recently approved military sales to Ukraine worth $329.1 million for components related to the upkeep of Patriot air defense systems and Starlink terminals.
The new long-range capabilities could "help Ukraine offensively," Whitaker said in the interview, adding: "They've already taken about 20% of Russia's oil refining capacity last month."
August saw Ukraine escalate long-range drone strikes against Russian oil infrastructure, a key source of revenue helping Moscow sustain its full-scale war.
Kyiv has been mostly deploying domestically made drones for these attacks due to limited stockpiles of Western-provided long-range missiles and range restrictions on their use. Only in late 2024 did then-U.S. President Joe Biden ease restrictions on Ukrainian strikes with ATACMS missiles and allow their use against military targets on Russian soil, a move criticized by Trump at the time.
More recently, Trump seemed to have shifted his stance, criticizing Biden for not letting "Ukraine fight back, only defend." The Financial Times reported in July that the U.S. president suggested in a call with Zelensky that Kyiv's forces could strike Moscow, though the White House claimed the comments were taken out of context.
The Trump administration made no official announcement regarding long-range strike policies, and it remains unclear whether Ukraine will be permitted to use ERAM missiles against targets on Russian territory.
Talking to Fox News, Whitaker noted that the "U.S. is selling about a $1 billion a month through our NATO allies that are being provided to Ukraine," likely referring to the NATO-led Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.
"And at the same time, he (Trump) has so many other cards to play. The Indian sanctions just took effect this week," the ambassador said, expressing optimism that the measure will force New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil.
Contrary to Whitaker's statements, Reuters recently reported that India's Russian oil imports are expected to increase by 10-20% in September, in spite of U.S. tariffs.
Since taking office, Trump has pledged to broker a speedy deal between Ukraine and Russia while urging European allies to bear the cost of Kyiv's defense.
Despite Trump's recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky, there seems to be little progress toward ending the hostilities as Russia ramps up ground offensives and attacks on Ukrainian cities.
