Kyiv pushes for U.S. sanction lift on long-range weapon use

"Ukrainian officials are preparing to present a list of long-range targets in Russia ... that they think Kyiv’s military can hit if Washington were to lift its restrictions on U.S. weapons," writes Politico. Ukrainian officials this week are set to make "a last-ditch effort to convince Washington to lift the restrictions on U.S. weapons being used inside Russia."

According to three sources who spoke with Politico, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and Senior Presidential Advisor Andriy Yermak will this week make "a last-ditch effort to convince Washington to lift the restrictions on U.S. weapons being used inside Russia."

"Ukrainian officials are preparing to present a list of long-range targets in Russia to top U.S. national security officials," it reads.

According to Politico, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly appealed to the Biden administration for the removal of restrictions on the use of American missiles to enable a more effective offensive on Russian territory. Washington believes that lifting restrictions could provoke Moscow into more aggressive actions in Ukraine.

At the same time, American officials note that - given the shift of critical Russian targets out of range - the strategic advantage of "lifting the restrictions will not have a significant impact on the ground."

Washington believes that Kyiv does not have a sufficient number of tactical missile systems for long-range rockets, as Ukraine uses them for its offensive in Crimea. Additionally, according to Politico's sources, the United States has a limited supply of ATACMS missiles.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov previously stated that after a massive Russian bombardment of Ukraine on Monday, his country is "preparing its response" - domestically produced weapons. He called on partners to lift restrictions on using donated weapons to attack enemy military targets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously reported that Russia attacked his country with more than a hundred missiles and nearly a hundred drones. Most of his country's regions were attacked, resulting in fatalities and dozens of injuries - he reported. In his opinion, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is a "sick creature," but he does what the world allows him to do.