Washington continues to dither – Ukraine successfully tests its own ballistic missile

Washington continues to deny Ukraine permission to use American weapons to strike inside Russia (with very limited exceptions), and Washington denies European allies’ permission to allow Ukraine to use their supplied weapons any way Ukraine wishes. (Based upon American elements within those European weapons, Washington has a veto on how they can be used).

Like a tired robot, Washington has said since the beginning of the war, it worries lifting the restrictions could provoke Russia to launch even more aggressive assaults on Ukraine, seemingly oblivious to the changing conditions in the war and Putin’s inaction as his red lines are crossed over and over.

The United States, once a legitimate superpower whose strength of purpose deterred enemies, has now, since 2014, been self-deterred by Putin’s bombastic threats.

Ukrainian officials and many of Ukraine’s supporters, including the Friends of Ukraine Network (FOUN), insist the lifting of all restrictions is imperative to the country’s war effort, claiming it would give its military greater freedom to take the fight to Russia. And, of course, significantly hamper Russia’s ability to continue its indiscriminate assault on non-military targets in Ukraine.

One reason the media has reported for Washington’s embarrassing recalcitrance is that Washington needs to protect its ability to “reset” relations with Russia.  What!

How about allowing Ukraine to defeat the Russian genocidal war machine and reclaim all of its territory – and the oppressed people in the occupied territories as well as the thousands-upon-thousands of abducted Ukrainian children – before worrying about a reset with the murderous Kremlin?

Now, because of Washington’s dithering, we have Ukraine reduced to coming to Washington to present a list of long-range targets in Russia Ukraine would like permission to target. Really?  This is how Washington thinks a war should be fought?

Yes, the United States has given Ukraine significant support and held support together from many European allies, but tying Ukraine’s hands behind its back in the face of Putin’s forces demands an answer to the question of what Washington’s strategic objective in this war is—or has Washington even decided on such an objective?

Innocent lives are being lost every day while Washington seems incapable of answering those questions.

And will a time come when the United States’ too little-too-slow approach is overcome by Ukraine’s commitment and in-country talent?

For months, we have learned about Ukraine’s air and sea drones and abilities to produce its own creative weapons.  Now, as reported in the article below, Ukraine has successfully tested its own ballistic missile.

Ukraine is not going to quit; Ukraine is going to continue fighting.  It is past time for the United States to give Ukraine everything it needs and permission to use everything to best conduct its defense against Russia.

PoliticoPro

Ukraine successfully tests its first ballistic missile

Ukraine’s president offers no details on the test but says that it was “positive.”

By Veronika Melkozerova  | 08/27/2024 12:10 PM EDT

Politico had a photo of President Zelenskyy – I replaced it with the cartoon RAM

KYIV — Ukraine has tested its first ballistic missile, and the result was “positive,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.

The development comes three days after Ukraine announced it successfully launched its first missile-drone, Palyanytsia.

“What other developments are there in Ukraine? I thought it was too early to talk about it, but… There was a positive test of the first Ukrainian ballistic missile. I congratulate our military production complex on this,” Zelenskyy said at a presser in Kyiv on Tuesday.

While he said he could not provide any more details at this stage, he said he shared the news “so that Ukrainian society would know and appreciate domestic defense producers working 24/7.”

Despite Ukrainian domestic military production having made sizable progress since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Kyiv still heavily relies on Western defense aid packages. This in part due to lacking the requisite funds for large-scale domestic production, Zelenskyy said.

In April, Ukraine launched its “ZBROYARI” initiative, which aims to attract Western funding for domestic defense production.

Western countries currently do not directly finance Kyiv’s armed forces, instead assisting with military aid packages and training. However, several countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, and Canada, have provided funds for defense producers in Ukraine to make weapons for Kyiv’s troops.

ROBERT MCCONNELL

Co-Founder, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation

Director of External Affairs, Friends of Ukraine Network

The introduction is Mr. McConnell’s and does not necessarily represent the views of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation or the Friends of Ukraine Network (FOUN).

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