Ukrainian president Volodimir Zelensky has denied media claims that the USA has banned Ukraine from using American ATACMS missiles to attack Russia.
More specifically, the Wall Street Journal claimed the Pentagon’s involvement on August 23, saying that the Trump administration introduced an undeclared high-level approval procedure blocking Ukraine from using the the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems.
Zelensky has both denied any restrictions and pointed out that Ukraine uses only domestically produced long-range weapons on Russian territory.
He did however admit that it had been discussed in the past, when the USA took umbrage with Ukraine’s retaliatory strikes after the Russians attacked the Ukrainian energy system, denying the use of ATACMS then and only then, stating that only US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth can authorize strikes that rely on US targeting data.
At a first glance at Zelensky’s statement, it looks like all bets are off since a disoriented American administration has gone increasingly laissez-faire on the war. However, Joe Biden authorized Ukraine’s use of long-range American weapons in November 2024, but now, under Trump, the Pentagon’s approval is required again.
