MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th July, 2023) A behind-the-scenes debate continues in the White House as to whether to send Ukraine ATACMS long-range missiles from the United States's already limited stock, The New York Times reported, citing sources.
In late June, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley said he was not aware of any decisions with respect to sending Ukraine the missiles, which could reach Russian territory, but noted that it was a "continuous, ongoing process."
Two US officials and one European official told the newspaper that officials inside the administration are in quiet debates over whether to give Kiev even a small number of ATACMS missiles, as they are reserved for other security threats.
The Pentagon has warned that its ATACMS arsenal is relatively small, and the missiles are already deployed to other areas, including on the Korean Peninsula, and therefore their transfer to Ukraine would jeopardize US combat readiness in other regions, according to the report. Only about 4,000 units were produced since the missile was designed in 1980s.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France had decided to transfer 50 SCALP-EG long-range missiles, its version of Storm Shadow, to Kiev to support the offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces.
