Ukraine : vers une utilisation des armes à longue portée contre la Russie ? • RFI

Hello Philippe, welcome, you have questions about the war in Ukraine. Okay, certain European countries are in favor of Ukraine using weapons against Russia. What is the position of the United States on this issue? So, good question you ask, indeed. And it's true that Ukraine has been asking its allies for months the possibility of striking Russian targets with these famous missiles, long-range missiles. Hello Franck-Alexandre. Hello Juan. Specialist of questions, defense, RFI, explain to us, Franck, why President Joe Biden is reluctant to give his green light? The fear is escalation, Juan, and it's not new. By the way, Vladimir Putin is using it. He said a few days ago that if the West allowed Ukraine to strike the Russian territory with long-range missiles, it would mean that NATO countries are at war against Russia. And if there is an American reluctance at the moment, it's true that such a decision comes to impact the presidential campaign, it did not escape you. But beyond that, we can note that the United States, in the end, although it is the most important military support of Ukraine, has regularly shown a lot of reluctance to give sensitive equipment, reluctant to give tanks before accepting to give them, reluctant to deliver F-16 planes, then accepting, provided that these planes are supplied by the Europeans, reluctant to provide rocket artillery, such as the ATAK MS, before giving in, but limiting the range of strikes to the occupied territory of Ukraine. The British, we can note it, are more willing on the issue. As for the French, they apply a certain strategic ambiguity dear to President Macron, maintaining a certain blur as for the red lines. But with hindsight, we see that the reluctance of some and others always ends up fading away. It's a matter of time. Rwanda, the Americans, in recent days, for example, have made it clear that they could not oppose the strikes in Russian territory if they are operated by British or French missiles. Well, it's a start. Yes, in any case, Germany has once again reaffirmed this weekend that it will not deliver long-range missiles to Ukraine. Philippe, you have another question, we are listening to you. Why is it important for Ukraine to use this missile to win? Frank-Alexandre. It's important because the offensive, surprise, this summer of the Ukrainians in the region of Kursk did not have the expected effect. We told them on the air. This maneuver did not force the Russians to move a large number of troops from Donbass to Kursk. The pressure in the east remains and Ukraine is in a bad position. Of any urgency, the Ukrainians must therefore loosen the torus, but on the ground there is no possible maneuver, which therefore seeks to hit in the depth of the opponent's device. Depth means 200, 300, 400 kilometers from the border. 800 kilometers if necessary, absolutely, to destroy the arches. These are therefore the air bases from which the planes or other Iranian or North Korean missiles leave. But without the authorization of the West, they are forced to fight with an arm in the back. It is an extremely precarious situation. And these are not the raids that they operate with drones that will change during the conflict. A drone does not have the efficiency of a cruise missile.