Biden Leaves Door Open for Ukraine to Receive U.S. ATACM Missile Systems

President Joe Biden has suggested that the U.S. could eventually supply Ukraine with a long-range missile system that Kyiv has been calling for to fight Russia's invasion.

The president made the remarks outside the White House on Monday when he was asked for his response to Russia stepping up its air attacks on Ukraine. Biden said that the move by Russia was "not unexpected," adding, "that's why we got to continue to give Ukraine all that it needs."

He was then asked if he expected any movement on Sweden joining NATO, responding that it would be discussed "next week." The exchange with reporters then touched on the possibility of Washington agreeing to give Ukraine the U.S.-made surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

Biden replied, "that is still in play," in the clip tweeted by Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Geraschchenko. Ukrainian Member of Parliament Kira Rudik tweeted that the recent Russian attacks, including those which have hit Kyiv this week, "prove the urgency of our request. We need those long-range munitions to be provided asap," she tweeted.

Kyiv has long asked for the U.S. to provide ATACMS, which is a long-range surface-to-surface missile that is fired by the Lockheed Martin-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS. Washington has held back providing the missiles that are able to hit Russian targets nearly 200 miles away, for fear this would escalate the conflict started by Moscow.

Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of United States Army Europe, is among the military figures who have repeatedly called for Washington to provide Kyiv with all the weapons it needs, in particular long-range systems to enable it to retake Crimea which Moscow seized in 2014.

He told Newsweek on Tuesday that he believed the Biden administration will "eventually" provide ATACMS to Ukraine."It's just maddening and needlessly prolongs this war when we are so slow and incremental," he said.

Hodges said that the Biden administration showed a "continued reluctance" to provide long-range precision weapons which was "the result of its reluctance or inability to clearly define the strategic outcome it seeks and its unwillingness to say it wants Ukraine to win."

"This has led to slow, incremental decision-making that only helps the Russians because the Kremlin knows that the (Biden) administration will continue to self-deter out of concern over possible Russian nuclear escalation."

When contacted for comment, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement that Washington "will continue to use a wide range of available tools to support Ukraine's armed forces as they defend against Russia's aggression."

"We continue to closely consult with Ukraine and work around the clock to continue deliveries in support of Ukraine's courageous defenders," the statement added.

Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for comment.

In January, Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, said that the Ukrainians could "change the dynamic on the battlefield" without ATACMS. But calls have been growing for Kyiv to get the long-range weapons they want.

During a visit to Kyiv last week, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said the sooner that the U.S. provided Kyiv with long-range ATACMS missiles and cluster munitions, "the more territory" Ukrainians could recapture and "the fewer lives will be lost."

It comes as the United Kingdom confirmed it would send Ukraine Storm Shadow cruise missiles which Mark Hertling, a former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, said would provide greater strike capabilities than ATACMS.

Able to be operated in extreme conditions in both day and night, Storm Shadow has a firing range of 155 miles, which is about 30 miles less than ATACMS. However, Hertling tweeted this month it had other advantages "like nap of the earth terminal guidance and capability for 'painting' a target."

Update 05/30/23, 10:15 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges.