The US is close to reaching an agreement to transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine.
The U.S. is close to reaching an agreement to transfer JASSM long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, but Kyiv will have to wait several months as Washington needs to resolve technical issues, Reuters reported, citing U.S. officials.
Earlier, the White House National Security Council declined to comment on media reports suggesting that the Washington administration was considering the possibility of providing long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.
"The U.S. is close to reaching an agreement to supply Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles... but Kyiv will have to wait several months while the U.S. resolves technical issues before delivery," Reuters reported.
The U.S. is expected to announce in the fall the inclusion of long-range JASSM missiles in an aid package for Kyiv. One official also indicated that measures have been taken to ensure that the JASSM can be launched from "non-Western" fighter jets owned by Ukraine.
Russia criticized the supply of weapons to Ukraine as hindering the goal of resolving the conflict, directly drawing NATO countries into the conflict, and "playing with fire." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any shipment of weapons to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russian attack. According to him, the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, not only by supplying weapons but also through training personnel for Ukraine in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries. The Kremlin stated that pumping weapons from the West to Ukraine does not contribute to negotiations and will have a negative impact.
