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US lawmakers submit bill to purchase ATACMS for Ukraine

2 min read
US lawmakers submit bill to purchase ATACMS for Ukraine
Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is fired during a joint exercise between the United Staes and South Korea, Oct. 5, 2022. (Photo credit: South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images)

A new defense budget bill submitted to U.S. Congress allocates $80 million for the purchase of Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) for Ukraine, Policy Advisor to Helsinki Commission Paul Massaro said on June 16.

The bill instructs the defense secretary to brief Congress on the process of procurement and transfer of ATACMS to Ukraine by Dec. 31, 2023.

Politico reported on June 8 that a group of bipartisan lawmakers called on President Joe Biden to provide the long-ranged missiles to Ukraine.

The supply of missiles with a 300-kilometer reach to Kyiv has been a hotly debated topic among U.S. politicians since last year.

In July 2022, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Washington is not ready to provide ATACMS, fearing this move could spiral into World War III.

The White House resolve may be weakening, as Biden said in May this year that ATACMS are "still in play."

Critics argue that allies' reluctance to supply ATACMS missiles to Ukraine may prevent Kyiv from liberating the rest of Ukrainian territory. A shortage of long-range weapons may also prolong Russia's war of aggression and result in thousands of deaths.

Although Washington has so far refused, Kyiv received Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles with a range of over 250 kilometers from the U.K.

Retired US General Petraeus: ‘Now it’s inevitable – we should give the ATACMS’
The Kyiv Independent interviewed retired U.S. General David Petraeus on the sidelines of a security conference held by the Cipher Brief in Kyiv on May 31. Petraeus is a four-star U.S. general who has commanded two wars. He has headed multinational forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has
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Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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