Will Yermak and Umerov convince Americans on strikes against Russian territory? An expert made a forecast
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov are set to travel to the United States to negotiate the approval for Ukraine to use long-range American weapons against targets on Russian territory. However, military analyst Denys Popovych is skeptical about the success of these talks.
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Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak / Photo: Zelenskiy/Official
He said this on the air of Hromadske Radio.
In an interview with Hromadske Radio, Popovych noted that the Ukrainian side had made numerous attempts to obtain this approval, but so far, without success. He pointed out that Russia has already started moving potential targets out of the range of these munitions. If the U.S. continues to delay the decision, the effectiveness of granting such permission might be significantly diminished.
According to Popovych, the focus is currently on two types of weapons: Storm Shadow air-launched missiles with a range of 250-300 kilometers and ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 kilometers.
"Frankly, I can't imagine what would need to happen for the U.S. to finally grant this permission. Earlier, there was talk about certain "red lines" triggered by our actions, but after we entered Kursk region, nothing significant happened. Even the shelling that occurred on Monday was not a direct retaliation for Kursk - it was clearly planned in advance," Popovych said.
He added that the "red lines" set by the United States are highly questionable, as they seem to constantly shift. Ukraine has attacked the Crimean Bridge and other targets within Russian territory, entered Kursk region, yet there has been no substantial reaction from the West.
Popovych believes that convincing partners to grant new permissions may not be achieved through words alone but rather through decisive actions, such as continuing advances into Russian territory.
The expert also points out that providing weapons to Ukraine has become a political issue in the U.S., as evidenced by the months-long delay in approving $61 billion in military aid to Ukraine. However, Popovych suggests that granting permission to use long-range weapons is not yet being seriously considered in the political realm.
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