US President, Joe Biden, said on Monday, May 30, 2022, that the United States will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia.

The US President’s comment followed reports that the Biden administration is preparing to send advanced long-range rocket systems to Kyiv for its fight against Russia. In his words, he said, “We’re not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems” that can reach Russia, Mr. Biden told reporters after arriving back at the White House on Monday, May 30, 2022, according to reports. Ukrainian Officials have longed for sought a longer-range system called the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, that can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles away. However, it is unclear which system Biden is referring to in his remarks.

Media reports suggested on Friday, May 27, 2022, that the Biden administration was leaning toward sending the MLRS and another system, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS, as part of a larger military aid package to assist Ukraine. The Ukrainian government urged the West to provide it with more longer-range weapons in order to turn the tide in the war, which is now in its fourth month, with US Officials saying that such weapons systems are actively being considered.

What has Been Provided so far?

So far, the US has provided thousands of portable Stinger anti-aircraft and Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukrainian forces as well as advanced drones and field artillery.

President Joe Biden speaks to the media as he returns from Wilmington, Delaware, to the White House on May 30, 2022, Reuters

But Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, last week, cautioned Western powers against supplying Ukraine with weapons capable of hitting Russian territory, warning such a move would be a “serious step towards unacceptable escalation”. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister said the urgency of his country’s need for bigger weapons can be summed up in two abbreviations: MLRS, meaning Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, and ASAP, as soon as possible.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, that the situation in the Eastern Donbas region was “extremely bad”, adding that the rocket systems could help Ukrainian forces try to recapture places such as the Southern city of Kherson from Russian occupiers. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Kuleba said he had about 10 bilateral meetings with other leaders whose countries possess such systems, reports revealed.

Fulfilling a Promise

While responding to a question in an interview on whether America provided its (Ukraine) request already, Kuleba said “So this is the burden of being a leader. Everyone is looking at you. So, Washington has to keep the promise and provide us with multiple launch rocket systems as soon as possible. Others will follow.”

“If we do not get an MLRS ASAP, the situation in Donbas will get even worse than it is now. Every day of someone sitting in Washington, Berlin, Paris and other capitals, and considering whether they should or should not do something, costs us lives and territories.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba

So far, records suggest that more than 4,000 people have been killed in Ukraine, leaving millions more displaced since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, 2022.