US officials are asking the war-torn nation to clearly outline its combat objectives for requesting expanded use of US-supplied long-range missiles.

Ukraine has stated that it plans to use the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles), to strike Russian airfields, command centers, and weapons depots deep in enemy territory.

President Joe Biden’s administration currently allows Kyiv to use the weapon only for strikes within Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.

US officials remain skeptical that lifting the restrictions would have a significant impact on the war, noting that it may also come with greater risks.

Growing Pressure

The US has been facing increasing pressure from NATO allies to allow Kyiv greater freedom to hit targets inside Russia to level the battlefield.

Moscow’s forces have been using long-range aircraft, missiles, and drones to attack Ukraine, quickly gaining the upper hand in the ongoing war.

Washington has expressed concerns that doing so would further escalate the war and allow Russia to reverse-engineer some of America’s most sophisticated weapons.

It has also argued that the Ukrainian military is already using long-range drones to strike deep into Russia, which is a cheaper and more strategic method than firing costly missiles.

Additionally, the White House downplayed the capabilities of its ATACMS, stating they would be ineffective now because Moscow has likely moved its most immediate threats to facilities beyond the missile’s range.

“I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed.

Russian Warning

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any strikes using Western weapons deep inside its territory will lead to a significant change in the nature of the conflict.

He said such a move would be viewed as an escalation of the war, making the US and its NATO allies directly involved.

“And if this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us,” Putin told reporters.

The post US Seeks Clarity From Ukraine on Expanded Use of Long-Range Weapons appeared first on The Defense Post.

According to two European diplomats who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, Kyiv initially requested that Washington allow the use of its ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System, to strike Russian airfields housing glide bomb-carrying warplanes.

However, US National Security Advisor John Kirby argued that the requested targets are well beyond the missile’s effective range, which is only 300 kilometers (186 miles).

“We’ve done the math on this — 90% of them (Russian airfields) lie outside 300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, deep inside Russia,” he noted.

As a result, the sources said Kyiv revised its target list to focus on Russian military command centers, fuel and weapons depots, and troop concentrations, hoping to persuade the US to permit strikes deeper into enemy territory.

‘Working That Out’

While Kirby already indicated there will be no change in US policy regarding the weapons it supplied to Ukraine, President Joe Biden has hinted at the possibility of authorizing it amid Moscow’s increasing aggression.

He told reporters last week, “We’re working that out right now,” after his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly called for the restrictions to be lifted.

Biden also recently met with newly installed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss the matter, signaling openness to consider Kyiv’s persistent request.

Meanwhile, some US officials are skeptical about the impact of granting Ukraine greater freedom to use Western weapons.

They argued that Moscow has likely moved its most immediate threats to facilities beyond the range of US-supplied missiles.

Additionally, they noted that Kyiv already uses kamikaze drones for deep strikes into Russia, which are significantly cheaper than the ATACMS or other long-range weapons.

The post Ukraine Revises ATACMS Target List After US Downplays Capability appeared first on The Defense Post.

Sullivan arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, the first US national security advisor to visit China since 2016, for three days of talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other high-ranking officials.

The visit came as China became embroiled in security rows with US allies Japan and the Philippines.

On Thursday morning, Sullivan met with senior Chinese army chief Zhang Youxia at the Beijing headquarters of the Central Military Commission.

“It’s rare that we have the opportunity to have this kind of exchange,” Sullivan told Zhang in opening remarks.

“Given the state of the world and the need for us to responsibly manage the US-China relationship, I think this is a very important meeting.”

Zhang, in turn, thanked Sullivan for his visit and said the meeting “demonstrates the value the US government puts on military security.”

The two officials also agreed to hold a call between the two sides’ theater commanders “in the near future,” a readout from the White House added.

Sullivan raised the importance of “stability” in the Taiwan Strait and “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have clashed in recent months.

He expressed “concerns about (Chinese) support for Russia’s defense industrial base” – echoing longstanding US claims that Beijing has rejected, the readout added.

He also raised “the need to avoid miscalculation and escalation in cyberspace, and ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza,” the White House said.

‘Destabilizing Actions’

On Wednesday, Sullivan and Wang discussed plans for their leaders to talk in the coming weeks – and clashed over China’s increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions.

Sullivan “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to defending its Indo-Pacific allies,” the White House said.

He also “expressed concern about (China’s) destabilizing actions against lawful Philippine maritime operations” in the disputed South China Sea, it said.

Chinese state media reported that Wang issued his own warning to Washington.

“The United States must not use bilateral treaties as an excuse to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor should it support or condone the Philippines’ actions of infringement,” Wang told Sullivan, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Wang and Sullivan previously met five times over the past year and a half – in Washington, Vienna, Malta, and Bangkok, as well as alongside Biden and Xi in Woodside, California in November 2023.

During their latest encounter, they also discussed the tense issue of Taiwan, the self-governing democracy that China claims.

China has kept up its saber-rattling since the inauguration this year of President Lai Ching-te, whose party emphasizes Taiwan’s separate identity.

Wang stressed that Taiwan belonged to Beijing and that China would “certainly be unified,” adding that the United States should stop arming Taiwan, according to CCTV.

The White House said Sullivan “underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

The US and Chinese officials also discussed issues including Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Korean Peninsula, both sides said.

The post US Raises Taiwan, South China Sea Concerns With Beijing Military appeared first on The Defense Post.

“There continues to be progress, and our team on the ground continues to describe the talks as constructive,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

“So despite the rocket and drone attack by Hezbollah over the course of the weekend, which Israel did a terrific job defending against, it has not affected the actual work on the ground by the teams trying to get this ceasefire deal in place,” Kirby said.

The United States has repeatedly voiced optimism for talks on reaching a truce proposed by President Joe Biden in the more than 10-month conflict, despite repeated differences voiced between Israel and Hamas.

Kirby said that senior White House official Brett McGurk stayed in Cairo for an extra day to allow further talks at a lower level.

“He’ll probably depart relatively soon and leave the discussion and the work to working group members,” Kirby said.

“We expect that these working group discussions will at least take place over the next few days, but whether it goes longer, or could end sooner, I think really is going to be up to those in the room,” he said.

The post White House Says Progress in Gaza Talks Despite Lebanon Flare-Up appeared first on The Defense Post.

Revealed by the White House during the 2024 NATO Summit, the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort or ICE Pact seeks a “best-in-class” fleet that will address the “expanding presence” of potential enemies and competitors in the High North.

Although specifics have not yet been released, Bollinger said it will leverage its shipyards to aid the program and play a “critical role” in the capacity and know-how for the ships’ development.

The company has a long record of producing vessels for international military customers. Currently, it is engaged with the US Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter program to replace the service’s heavy and medium icebreaker vessels by the 2030s.

“As the premiere builder of American-made polar icebreakers, Bollinger Shipyards is proud to support the United States and our NATO allies with our deep expertise and capacity,” Bollinger Shipyards CEO and President Ben Bordelon said.

“Our goal is to create a world-class American-owned shipyard capable of producing the first fleet of American-made polar icebreakers in over half a century, and we’re honored that responsibility lies with Bollinger.”

The ICE Pact

According to the US, the ICE Pact will bolster each participating nation’s industrial base by supporting jobs across shipyards, marine equipment manufacturers, and associated services.

The program’s initial phase will consist of comprehensive information exchange between the members, workforce integration, and the promotion of icebreaker sales to allied and partner nations.

The government wrote that the program’s first six months will focus on the joint implementation plan to construct the vessels.

“This partnership is about more than the collective production of polar icebreakers and capabilities, including Arctic and polar-capable ships,” the White House said.

“It is about providing the capability for like-minded nations to uphold international rules, norms, and standards to sustain peace and stability in the Arctic…for generations to come.”

Canadian Arctic Submarines

During the latest NATO meeting in DC, Canada also announced a new program to build a dozen conventionally-powered submarines to secure all of its three major coasts.

These systems will receive an “under-ice” design that will enable operability in low-temperature environments such as the Arctic Ocean.

Once inducted, the fleet will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Victoria-class submarines, introduced in the early 1990s.

The post Bollinger Joins US, Canada, Finland Icebreaker Fleet Initiative appeared first on The Defense Post.

Four US officials familiar with the matter recently told CNN that the administration of President Joe Biden is now moving to lift a de facto ban on American military presence inside Ukraine.

The move may be fueled by the logistical burden of having to ship damaged weapons and armored vehicles to nearby NATO countries so US military engineers can safely repair them.

If enacted, the Pentagon will have the freedom to contract American companies to work in Ukraine and accelerate the repair and maintenance of weapons systems such as F-16s.

The sources noted that the move is still being discussed internally, with a decision expected by the end of this year.

A Lengthy Process

The revelation comes despite Biden’s firm stance that the US will not send troops to Kyiv to participate in the ongoing war.

However, CNN sources said his administration has been re-examining this policy over the past few months as Russia continues to gain the upper hand in Ukraine.

The absence of American contractors in the war-torn nation has reportedly made the process of repairing and maintaining US-supplied weapons lengthy and more difficult.

Previous reports indicated that Ukrainian forces even had to utilize phone calls and video chats to receive necessary hardware support.

“We get calls from right there on the firing line. So there’ll be outgoing or incoming fire at the same time you’re trying to help the forward maintainers troubleshoot the best they can,” an American military contractor from a base in Poland said in 2023.

If the proposed deployment in Ukraine pushes through, American companies will be required to develop reliable mechanisms to keep their personnel safe from potential Russian attacks.

The post US Could Soon Deploy Military Contractors to Ukraine: Officials appeared first on The Defense Post.

Speaking at an arms control event last week, National Security Council official Pranay Vaddi said Moscow and Beijing’s rejection of nuclear arsenal limitation highlights the increased need to employ a more competitive approach to prepare for these threats.

He further stated that with the absence of an agreement, more nuclear weapons may be required to effectively deter adversaries and protect the American people and allies.

“We may reach a point in the coming years where an increase from current deployed numbers is required. We need to be fully prepared to execute if the president makes that decision,” Vaddi explained.

At present, the US observes a limit of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads as stipulated in a 2010 treaty with Russia.

Moscow has already suspended its participation in the agreement because of Washington’s support for Ukraine.

‘At Breakneck Pace’

In 2023, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he believed there was no need to increase the size of America’s nuclear arsenal to deter the combined forces of Russia, China, and other rivals.

He also announced that the US will abide by the nuclear weapons limits set by its treaty with Russia until 2026.

But Vaddi pointed out that these adversaries are all expanding and diversifying their nuclear arsenals “at a breakneck pace.”

China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are reportedly “cooperating and coordinating with each other in ways that run counter to peace and stability, threaten the US, our allies and our partners, and exacerbate region[al] tensions.”

Last month, Moscow fueled nuclear war concerns after President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to hold nuclear weapons drills near Ukraine.

The post US Mulls Increased Deployment of Nuclear Weapons Amid Rising Threats appeared first on The Defense Post.

Biden has come under increasing pressure from a desperate Ukraine to ease his ban, but had so far resisted amid fears it could drag NATO into direct conflict with Moscow.

“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” a US official said on condition of anonymity.

“Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long range strikes inside of Russia has not changed,” the official said, referring to long-range missiles recently sent by Washington to Kyiv.

A second US official confirmed Biden’s change of policy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pressing Kyiv’s supporters – chiefly the United States – to allow it to use the longer-range weaponry they supply to hit targets on Russian soil.

Some countries including Britain and the Netherlands say Kyiv has the right to use their weapons to strike military targets in Russia.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had hinted on Wednesday that Biden could change course.

Blinken said the United States had “adapted and adjusted” as the “battlefield has changed,” as he spoke to reporters on a visit to Moldova on the eve of NATO talks in Prague.

Blinken, who traveled to Kyiv earlier this month to see the increasingly grave situation as Russia pushes forward towards Kharkiv, had been widely reported to be pressing Biden to ease the rules.

Ahead of the NATO meeting, which starts with a dinner on Thursday, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said repeatedly it was time for members to reconsider those limits because they hampered Kyiv’s ability to defend itself.

French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to shift the dial forward on Tuesday when he said Ukraine should be allowed to “neutralize” bases in Russia used to launch strikes.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, however, remained less sure, saying Ukraine should act within the law – and Berlin had not supplied weapons that could hit Russia anyway.

Pressure has also been mounting ahead of a series of key meetings in Europe in coming weeks where Kyiv’s plight will be in focus.

Biden will attend ceremonies in France marking the World War II D-Day landings in early June where Ukraine’s Zelensky will also be present.

The US president will also meet leaders of the world’s top economies at the G7 summit in Italy.

The post Biden Lets Ukraine Hit Russia With US Arms to Defend Kharkiv appeared first on The Defense Post.

This as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues to press the administration to allow Kyiv to use American weapons to strike targets in Russia.

Since Washington made its first shipments of military assets to Ukraine, President Joe Biden has strictly prohibited the war-torn nation from using them to fire deep into enemy territory to avoid further escalation.

But officials involved in the deliberations told The New York Times that there has been an apparent change in consensus because of how the Russians are gaining the upper hand in Ukraine.

The proposed lifting of restrictions is reportedly still in the formative stages, as it remains unclear how many will support it.

It has also not been formally presented to the president.

Fighting With One Hand Tied

The US remains Ukraine’s most important backer, having sent more than $107 billion in military aid to bolster its defenses.

However, Washington has not faltered in its stance of prohibiting Kyiv from using its long-range missiles to carry out strikes across the border.

The war-torn nation is only allowed to use the HIMARS and other US-made assets to strike targets as far as Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.

But for Russian military analyst George Barros from the Institute for the Study of War, these restrictions have been causing Kyiv to fight with one hand tied behind its back.

“US policy has effectively created a vast sanctuary in which Russia has been able to amass its ground invasion force and from which it is launching glide bombs and other long-range strike systems in support of its renewed invasion,” he said.

Increasing Calls

Pressure is mounting on the US as other Ukraine backers have quietly agreed to allow their long-range weapons to strike Russia.

British Storm Shadow cruise missiles, for example, can now be used to target invading forces more broadly, according to reports.

Lithuania’s foreign minister has already called on Western nations to give Kyiv greater freedom to hit targets in Russia.

Ukrainian parliamentary officials have also pleaded with allies to lift restrictions as Moscow continues to amass its troops on the border.

“We saw their military sitting one or two kilometers from the border inside Russia, and there was nothing we could do about that,” Oleksandra Ustinova, head of Kyiv’s arms parliamentary commission, told Politico.

The post White House Mulls Allowing Ukraine to Fire US Weapons Into Russia appeared first on The Defense Post.

Approved by US lawmakers on Friday, the funding aims to bolster the defense capabilities of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania amid the escalating tensions in the region.

More specifically, it will be used to fund the development of air defense systems and improve the maritime situational awareness of the three countries.

“Support from the US has significantly helped Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania fast track several military infrastructure and capability development projects,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said. “The good news is that the support is slightly higher than last year.”

In 2023, the US government earmarked $225 million for the Baltic states as part of the Baltic Security Initiative created in 2020.

‘A Clear Signal’

The US funding comes as tensions in the European region continue due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius are all members of NATO, feared to be the next target of Moscow if it wins in Ukraine.

Pevkur said Washington’s financial aid sends a clear signal to adversaries that the US, which has the “most powerful military” in the world, is committed to the security and stability of the region.

In December, the US and the Baltic states agreed on a five-year road map that will see collaborations in integrated air and missile defense, maritime domain awareness, cyber, and irregular warfare.

The three Russian neighbors have also agreed to build anti-mobility defensive installations on their borders with Belarus and Russia.

The post US OKs $228M Military Aid to Baltic Nations appeared first on The Defense Post.