Ukraine has been lobbying the Biden administration for permission to employ long-range US missiles to carry out strikes deep into Russian territory. On September 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would not tolerate any such action and would regard it as a last red line to be crossed.
"My interest had to do with indications that the military overruled Blinken and told.... [President Joe] Biden 'No!' about giving authorization to fire Storm Shadow missiles deeper into Russia," McGovern said.
McGovern said the Pentagon had about eight hours to digest Putin's warning on September 12 before the Defense Department confirmed there was still no change in the restrictions on weapons to Ukraine.
McGovern said this happened just a few hours before it fell to Biden to break the word to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Expectations had been high that Biden and Starmer would announce new rules on weapons use in the Ukraine conflict. However, no such announcement emanated after the talks at the White House.
The White House said Ukraine's request to use US-supplied long-range weapons deep in Russian territory will be discussed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with Biden later this week.