In March, the Biden Administration Secretly Sent Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine

In March, the Biden administration surreptitiously sent long-range missiles to Ukraine to support the country against Russia’s invasion.

“I’m able to confirm as you’ve heard from others that in February, the President directed his team to provide Ukraine with a significant number of ATACMS missiles for use inside Ukraine’s sovereign territory,” Mr. Sullivan said. “That shipment started moving in March as part of the [presidential drawdown authority] that the President authorized on March 12, and those missiles have arrived in Ukraine.”

Prior to this, the administration had sent medium-range ATACMS to Ukraine in September but had refrained from providing the long-range variant until March to prevent any harm to U.S. military readiness and avoid escalating tensions with Russia.

Mr. Sullivan explained that various factors influenced the decision to send the long-range missiles to Ukraine, such as Russia’s acquisition of long-range missiles from North Korea for attacking civilian infrastructure related to food, energy, and housing.

Furthermore, advancements in production capacities related to the system alleviated concerns about negatively impacting U.S. military readiness by sending the missiles to Ukraine.

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“There were readiness concerns preventing us from providing these ATACMS on many occasions,” stated Mr. Sullivan. “However, behind the scenes, the administration has been diligently working to address those concerns.”

“With a significant number of ATACMS being produced and entering U.S. stocks, we can now proceed with providing ATACMS while ensuring the readiness of the U.S. armed forces,” he added.

There was also apprehension about the potential use of the long-range missiles by Ukraine to attack Russian territory, leading to a dangerous escalation of hostilities.

Mr. Sullivan mentioned that leadership in Kyiv had pledged not to use the ATACMS against any part of Russia’s sovereign territory, a commitment they had honored with previous systems provided to them.

“We have confidence that they will continue to honor this commitment,” he elaborated.

Although he suggested that there is no guaranteed solution in defeating Russia, Mr. Sullivan expressed optimism that the missiles would aid Ukraine in maintaining or shifting the balance against Russia in strategically important areas.

He emphasized that Ukraine’s continued defense capabilities could diminish Russia’s willingness to engage in war over time.

“I’m not going to get into specific numbers for operational reasons but I believe they will make a difference,” he reiterated.

“We believe that the structural dynamics of this conflict favor the country defending its own territory. We believe that occupation and invasion saps the will and vitality of a nation over time. And as long as Ukraine gets the tools that it needs to defend itself, it can do so effectively and it can win.”