Ukraine Asks For Long-Range Weapons, US President Joe Biden: We Will Not Send Rockets Capable Of Hitting Russia

US President Joe Biden. (Twitter/@Potus)

JAKARTA - President Joe Biden said the United States would not send a rocket system capable of hitting Russia, when Ukraine wants long-range weapons to help in its struggle.

Ukraine is known to have asked allies for long-range systems, including the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), which can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles away.

"We're not going to send a rocket system into Ukraine that attacks Russia," President Biden told reporters, after arriving back at the White House after the weekend in Delaware.

President Biden has not ruled out providing specific weapons systems, but appears to be placing requirements on how they can be used.

It is known that President Biden and his team are working on a new military equipment package that is expected to be announced in the coming days.

The MLRS is being considered, but neither has long-range strike capabilities outside of battlefield use, a senior government official said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has urged the West to provide more long-range weapons to turn the tide of the war, which is now in its fourth month.

President Biden himself wants to help Ukraine defend itself, but opposes providing Ukraine with weapons to attack Russia.

CNN and The Washington Post reported on Friday last week that President Biden's Administration was leaning toward sending the MLRS and another system, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS, as part of an upcoming military aid package.

Thousands of people have been killed in Ukraine and millions more displaced since Russia's February 24 invasion, which Moscow calls a "special military operation".

Previously, President Biden's Administration and US allies were increasingly willing to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons, including the M777 howitzer, as Kyiv fought Russian forces with more success than intelligence officials had anticipated.

But US intelligence has also warned of the increased risk, especially given the mismatch between Russian President Vladimir Putin's real ambitions and his military performance.

In addition, Ukraine has started receiving Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark and self-propelled howitzers from the United States, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said at the weekend.