Ukraine's push for US approval on Russian military targets
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak, met with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin on Friday. They intended to present a list of military targets in Russia to obtain permission to attack them using American weapons.
Umerov stated that the Ukrainian delegation had come to Washington to engage in "detailed discussions about the situation on the frontline, including our vision, objectives and plans" and to address critical military needs and the production of military equipment in Ukraine.
Military targets inside Russia
According to prior announcements, Umerov and Yermak, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, were to present Americans with a list of military targets in Russia that Ukrainians would like to attack using American missiles. Ukraine has been striving for a long time to ease restrictions on this matter.
Current US policy
President Joe Biden's administration has agreed to the use of the delivered weapons in border regions but still prohibits the use of ATACMS missiles and other long-range missiles to attack deep targets inside Russia. US administration officials emphasize that they "continuously discuss" this matter but signal that such a move will not significantly improve Ukraine's situation. However, a significant group of congressmen from both parties support the policy change.
Lobbying by Ukrainian parliamentarians
Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleksandra Ustinova, who recently lobbied in the USA to lift these restrictions, told the Polish Press Agency that a change in the US administration's position is possible, although it often happens too slowly. Examples include delays in delivering ATACMS missiles.
Ukrainian representatives are also pushing for accelerating deliveries of the promised Western weapons, including air defence systems. As Yermak emphasized, this was one of the main topics of the talks at the Pentagon.
"Russia has launched more than 400 strikes in the past week. We emphasized the importance of quickly receiving weapons and training our soldiers," wrote the presidential advisor on the X portal.
Meetings with American officials
Ukrainian government representatives also met with Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James O'Brien. They may also meet with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
