Key Points and Summary – The Trump administration has reversed a key U.S. policy, now blocking Ukraine from using American-made long-range missiles like ATACMS for strikes deep inside Russian territory.
-The move, intended to avoid derailing fragile peace negotiations with Moscow, is being enforced through a new Pentagon review system.
-The policy creates a rift with Kyiv; a defiant President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine no longer depends on Washington’s approval and will continue deep strikes with its own drones.
-The decision also highlights President Trump’s own contradictory rhetoric, as he recently criticized a “timid” strategy against Russia on social media.
Trump Stops Ukraine from Using Long-Range Missiles Against Russia
Washington has tightened the reins on Ukraine’s battlefield options, blocking Kyiv from launching US-made long-range missiles deep into Russian territory.
The move, intended to keep Vladimir Putin engaged in peace negotiations, underscores the political balancing act that President Donald Trump faces as the war grinds on.
The Telegraph reports that US officials, a Pentagon review system introduced in the spring, has effectively prevented Ukraine from using Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against Russian supply routes and infrastructure.
The same mechanism has hampered the use of Britain’s Storm Shadow cruise missile, which relies on American targeting support. At least one Ukrainian request to deploy ATACMS has already been rejected, officials confirmed.
Trump Warns Against Ukrainian Strikes in Russia
The policy marks a reversal of the Biden administration’s late-2024 decision to allow strikes inside Russia. Trump’s team argues that such high-profile attacks risk derailing fragile diplomatic overtures.
Elbridge Colby, a senior Pentagon figure, reportedly placed final sign-off authority for these strikes in the hands of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump himself has vacillated. On his Truth Social last week, he likened Ukraine’s position to a sports team forced to defend but never attack: “There is no chance of winning!” he wrote, while lambasting Joe Biden for what he called a timid strategy. Yet his administration has stood by the restrictions.
Kyiv: We No Longer Depend on Washington
The tension was on display in Kyiv on Sunday as President Volodymyr Zelensky marked Ukraine’s independence day alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Zelensky insisted that his country no longer depended on Washington’s approval, boasting of Ukraine’s domestically produced long-range capabilities.
Moscow, meanwhile, claimed to have intercepted Ukrainian drones over St Petersburg, and a huge fire erupted at a fuel depot near the Ust-Luga port following another drone attack.
Behind the policy debates lies a wider question: how far is the West willing to go in underwriting Ukraine’s war effort? European officials will grapple with that dilemma this week at a “coalition of the willing” summit, co-hosted by Britain’s chief of defence staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.
Plans for a Europe-led peacekeeping mission, should a ceasefire be struck, are on the agenda, although details remain sparse.
Carney Floats Canadian Troops Idea
Carney suggested that Canada might even commit troops to enforce any eventual settlement, a statement that will be closely watched in both Kyiv and Moscow.
Yet the idea of Western boots on the ground has already drawn criticism.
Italy’s Matteo Salvini scoffed that if Emmanuel Macron wanted soldiers in Ukraine, “he should put on a helmet and go himself.”
Germany has also signalled that its overstretched forces could not participate. In other words, the road to expanding Ukraine’s war effort will continue to be a bumpy one, as will any path towards peace.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.
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