Blinken: it's Ukrainians who should decide how to use ATACMS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that it would be up to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to decide how they want to use the ATACMS missiles, although Washington does not encourage the use of American weapons outside of Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that Ukrainians should be able to use such missiles effectively.

Blinken made the statement during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on September 15. Commenting on the possibility of transferring ATACMS, he said that several factors are taken into account when transferring each weapon system to Kyiv.

"Ukrainians must be able to use them effectively. New sophisticated systems also require maintenance and, of course, we are doing that. They must be able to operate and repair them, and this does not happen automatically. They also have to fit into a coherent military program that intends to help Ukraine achieve its goals," the State Department chief said.

He added that Ukrainians should use these weapons "as they decide."

"It's up to them to make decisions about what might be most effective in restoring their territorial integrity. According to our policy, we do not encourage or allow the use of our weapons systems outside of Ukraine. But again, this is Ukraine's decision," Blinken said.

For her part, Baerbock confirmed that possible fears of strikes on Russian territory are not an argument when considering the transfer of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as Ukraine has the right to self-defense.

"The argument is that there are sensitive issues that need to be clarified, especially for our system Taurus, which is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. That's why the Federal Government, the Defense Minister, the Chancellor and I have spoken about this repeatedly in recent weeks, and we have made it clear over and over again that we are having intensive discussions and looking at what we can do," she said.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- According to CNN, the US State Department and the Pentagon have recommended that President Joe Biden transfer ATACMS long-range tactical missile systems to Ukraine. Discussions about such supplies have intensified in recent weeks.

- On September 13, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that there was progress in negotiations on the transfer of ATACMS and Taurus. However, no final decisions have yet been made in these countries.

- According to a military expert and Navy Reserve Captain Andriy Ryzhenko, ATACMS, along with F-16 fighters, will contribute to the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces need a surface fleet to fully succeed in the counteroffensive.

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