The United States will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach into Russia, President Joe Biden said on Monday, as Ukraine pushes for longer-range weapons system to help in its fight, Reuters reports.
Ukrainian officials have been asking allies for longer-range systems including the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, that can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles away.
"We're not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia," Biden told reporters after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware.
Biden did not rule out providing any specific weapons system, but instead appeared to be placing conditions on how they could be used. Biden and his team are working on a new package of military equipment and it is expected to be announced in coming days.
The MLRS was under consideration, but nothing with long-range strike capabilities outside of battlefield use, a senior administration official said.
The Ukrainian government has urged the West to provide it with more longer-range weapons in order to turn the tide in the conflict, now in its fourth month.
Biden wants to help Ukraine defend itself but has been opposed to providing weapons that Ukraine could use to attack Russia.
CNN and The Washington Post reported on Friday the Biden administration was leaning towards sending the MLRS and another system, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS, as part of an upcoming military aid package.
