Pentagon responds to rumors of possible transfer ATACMS missiles
Pentagon spokesperson Pete Ryder (photo: Flickr by Secretary of Defense)
The U.S. Department of Defense commented on reports that have appeared in the press regarding the possible approval by the U.S. President's administration of the transfer of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. The department stated that they cannot officially provide new information on this matter at this time, saні Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pete Ryder during a briefing.
The representative of the U.S. Department of Defense neither confirmed nor denied such claims by some Western journalists.
According to him, from the Pentagon's perspective, there is "nothing new to announce."
"We will continue to maintain close contact with Ukraine and our allies and our partners on their security assistance needs. We will continue to maintain close contact with Ukraine and our allies and our partners on their security assistance needs," he commented on the announcement.
However, Ryder noted that in the context of the ATACMS reports, he "cannot provide anything new" at this time.
The press reports about the possible transfer of ATACMS by the United States
The Ukrainian side has been requesting ATACMS long-range missiles from the United States since last year.
These missiles have the capability to target objects up to 300 kilometers away.
Ukraine could use these missiles with the HIMARS rocket artillery systems that the U.S. has previously provided. However, it's important to mention that a few weeks ago, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Mark Milley, stated that President Biden had not yet given a final answer regarding Ukraine's request for ATACMS.
Additionally, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, recently discussed the potential supply of ATACMS long-range missiles with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stating that "this option remains open."
