Two US officials told the British news agency that a first package of one billion dollars of aid approved by Congress is being prepared by the US and is only waiting for the signature of President Joe Biden.
Regarding the possibility that ATACMS missiles with a longer range of action will also be part of this package, Dmitry Peskov stated that if such missiles are delivered, Russia will be forced to expand the “buffer zone” in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in March that Moscow plans to create a “buffer zone” to provide protection against Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, AP notes.
“We will be forced at some point, when we consider it necessary, to create a certain ‘sanitary zone’ on the territories controlled by the (Ukrainian government),” Putin said.
In congressional briefings in recent weeks, US officials have indicated that the US is likely to send long-range ATACMS missiles, or military tactical missile systems, to Ukraine for the first time as part of the new aid package, three of sources cited by CNN.
Last fall, the US first sent to Ukraine the medium-range version of the ATACMS missile system, which can reach about 160 kilometers, while the long-range version can reach about 300 kilometers.
Ukraine has asked the US for long-range missiles to target deeper behind Russian lines, but US officials have resisted, citing both supplies and the risk of further provocation by Moscow.
In recent months, however, US officials have described the situation on the Ukrainian battlefield in increasingly dire terms, while US aid has been blocked in Congress.
Photo: Hepta
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Tags: Russia Warns Kiev Expand Ukraine Buffer Zone Receives Missiles
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