Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is about to travel to Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden , which may include a request for some of the most advanced weapons systems in the US inventory, such as the long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
According to media sources, the visit, which is expected to take place on Wednesday, will involve a lengthy meeting between Zelensky and Biden in the Oval Office , after which the two leaders will hold a White House press conference. Zelensky is expected to address lawmakers later.
It is expected that one of the main topics of the day will be the issue of providing advanced weapons to Ukraine. Kiev believes that this may change the trend of military conflict between Ukraine and Moscow .
"He needs weapons with longer range to be able to preempt a possible Russian attack," former US ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor told Politico. "He needs immediate financial support to keep the government running, and he knows Congress will make a decision on these projects this week."
Sources familiar with the negotiations told Politico that the Ukrainian delegation is believed to plan to request long-range ATACMS, which has a strike range of about 300 kilometers, as well as Gray Eagle and Reaper drones.
However, they noted that U.S. officials were not prepared to change their stance on the issue, after flatly refusing to send anti-tank missiles , citing the high cost and the risk of spurring Moscow to use more lethal weapons inside Ukraine.
Nonetheless, the Biden administration is expected to provide Ukraine with a new $2 billion military aid package that will, for the first time, include Patriot air defense systems and the Joint Direct Attack Munitions suite, which is used to build precision-guided bombs . The package will also reportedly include $850 million in U.S. stockpiles of artillery and other ammunition.
Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly insisted "pumping" Armed Ukraine will ultimately not affect the outcome of the conflict but will only prolong hostilities and lead to more bloodshed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that any Western weapons system, such as Patriot, if deployed in Ukraine, will definitely become a target of the Russian army. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev previously warned that the weapon and its crew would be legitimate targets.
