The United States is sending a significant amount of weaponry to Ukraine. However, the White House is not allowing the Ukrainian military to use these weapons to their fullest potential against targets in Russia.
From the start of the war in 2022, the Biden administration unilaterally put mandates in place prohibiting the use of U.S.-made weaponry on targets located within Russia. According to the administration, this is an effort to prevent the conflict from escalating into World War III.
Point phone camera here
However, the situation may be changing. Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, R, the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken Wednesday, May 22, about the White House’s restrictions, reminding him that the weapons package recently approved by Congress did not include any such limitations.
McCaul asked Blinken directly if the policy would be changed so Ukraine could “stop fighting with one hand tied behind its back.”
The New York Times also reported after visiting Ukraine, Blinken is now lobbying the White House to lift its restrictions on the use of U.S. weapons in Ukraine, at least in some instances.
To illustrate the situation, the above is a recreation of the map Rep. McCaul used during the House Foreign Relations Committee hearing. It is based on information and data compiled by the Institute for the Study of War.
The map shows Ukraine, Russia, and Russian-occupied Ukraine in light red, which includes Crimea. The lines on the map represent the ranges of some U.S.-provided weapons to Ukraine:
- Dotted-line: HIMARS rockets, maximum range of about 48 miles.
- Dashed-line: Mid-range ATACMS missiles, range a little over 105 miles.
- Solid-line: Maximum known range of ATACMS missiles, 186 miles.
As of the date of this article’s publication, Ukraine cannot use any U.S.-made weapons against targets on Russian soil. This restriction allows Russia to mass its troops, artillery, and other weapons systems within these zones. While Ukraine can hit targets deep in Russian territory, it primarily does so with slow-moving drones, which do not have the same impact as U.S. weapons. Russia is also increasingly intercepting the drones.
This is why McCaul, former State Department staffers and others lobbied the White House to not only arm Ukraine with the necessary weapons but also allow Ukraine to use them as intended, targeting as many Russian bases, launchers, aircraft, ships, troop formations, and other assets as possible.
Additionally, the White House may reconsider its restrictions on air defense missiles. In northeast Ukraine (the shaded area of Ukraine on the map above), Russian glide bombs pose a significant threat, allowing Russia to essentially destroy entire towns without deploying ground troops.
Recently, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hinted at the possibility of allowing Ukraine to use American-made missiles to target the Russian jets dropping these bombs, which are currently operating safely behind Russian lines.
THE UNITED STATES IS SENDING A TON OF WEAPONRY OVER TO UKRAINE, BUT ISN’T REALLY LETTING THE UKRAINIAN MILITARY USE THOSE WEAPONS TO THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL.
THE WHITE HOUSE UNILATERALLY PUT MANDATES IN PLACE PROHIBITING THE USE OF U.S.-MADE WEAPONRY ON TARGETS LOCATED WITHIN RUSSIA. ACCORDING TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, IT’S TRYING TO PREVENT THE CONFLICT FROM ESCALATING INTO WORLD WAR III.
BUT THE TIMES MAY BE A CHANGING.
TEXAS REPRESENTATIVE MICHAL McCAUL PEPPERED SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN ON THE WHITE HOUSE’S RESTRICTIONS, AND REMINDED HIM THE WEAPONS PACKAGE APPROVED BY CONGRESS MADE NO MENTION OF ANY RESTRICTIONS.
McCaul: Will you change this policy so Ukraine can fight without one hand tied behind its back?
AND THE NEW YORK TIMES IS REPORTING BLINKEN, AFTER MAKING A TRIP TO UKRAINE, IS NOW LOBBYING THE WHITE HOUSE TO LIFT ITS RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF U.S. WEAPONS IN UKRAINE. AT LEAST IN SOME INSTANCES.
HERE’S WHY. SO, THIS IS A RECREATION OF THE MAP REPRESENTATIVE MCCAUL WAS USING DURING THE HOUSE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING, AND IT’S BASED ON INFORMATION AND DATA COMPILED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR. HERE’S UKRAINE, RUSSIA, AND THIS AREA IS RUSSIAN-OCCUPIED UKRAINE, WHICH OF COURSE INCLUDES CRIMEA.
NOW THESE LINES REPRESENT THE DISTANCE–OR RANGES–OF SOME OF THE WEAPONS PROVIDED TO UKRAINE FROM THE U. S.
THIS FIRST LINE REPRESENTS THE MAXIMUM RANGE OF THE HIMARS ROCKETS, AND THAT’S ABOUT 48 MILES. THE NEXT LINE REPRESENTS THE MAX RANGE OF THE MID-RANGE ATACMS MISSILES, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER 105 MILES. AND THIS LAST LINE IS THE MAXIMUM KNOWN RANGE OF ATACMS MISSILES, WHICH IS A DISTANCE OF 186 MILES.
NOW, AS OF THIS RECORDING, UKRAINE STILL CAN’T USE ANY U.S. MADE WEAPONS AGAINST TARGETS ON RUSSIAN SOIL. WHICH MEANS RUSSIA IS MASSING MOST OF ITS TROOPS, ARTILLERY AND OTHER WEAPONS SYSTEMS ALL WITHIN THESE ZONES.
UKRAINE DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIT TARGETS DEEP IN RUSSIAN TERRITORY, AND THEY HAVE, BUT THOSE ATTACKS ARE MOSTLY WITH SLOW-MOVING DRONES THAT DON’T PACK THE SAME SORT OF PUNCH AS U.S. WEAPONS, AND RUSSIA IS GETTING BETTER AT STOPPING THEM ANYWAY.
WHICH IS WHY REPRESENTATIVE MCCAUL, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT STAFFERS AND OTHERS ARE ALL LOBBYING THE WHITE HOUSE TO NOT JUST ARM UKRAINE WITH THE WEAPONS IT NEEDS, BUT LET UKRAINE USE THOSE WEAPONS THE WAY THEY WERE INTENDED BY DESTROYING AS MANY RUSSIAN BASES, LAUNCHERS, AIR CRAFT, SHIPS, TROOP FORMATIONS AND OTHER TARGETS AS POSSIBLE.
ALSO, IN ADDITION TO REMOVING THE RESTRICTIONS ON WEAPONS LIKE HIMARS AND ATACMS THE WHITE HOUSE MAY ALSO BE RECONSIDERING HOW IT LETS UKRAINE USE AIR DEFENSE MISSILES AS WELL.
THIS SHADED AREA IN NORTHEAST UKRAINE, THIS WHOLE AREA IS WHAT’S CURRENTLY AT RISK OF GETTING HIT BY RUSSIAN GLIDE BOMBS.
I’VE REPORTED ON THESE BEFORE SO IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE YOU CAN CHECK OUT THOSE STORIES AT SAN.COM, BUT GLIDE BOMBS ARE ALLOWING RUSSIA TO DESTROY ENTIRE TOWNS WITHOUT ANY BOOTS ON THE GROUND. THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, LLOYD AUSTIN, LEFT THE DOOR OPEN A LITTLE THOUGH RECENTLY ON THE POSSIBILITY THE U.S. MAY LET UKRAINE START USING AMERICAN MADE MISSILES TO TARGET THE RUSSIAN JETS DROPPING THE GLIDE BOMBS, JETS THAT ARE OPERATING SAFELY BEHIND RUSSIAN LINES.
FOR MORE OF OUR REPORTING ON THE WAR IN UKRAINE, BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY OR CHECK US OUT AT S-A-N DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
