The U.S. defense department is said to be restricting Ukraine’s deployment of ATACMS missiles within Russia, while diplomatic talks between Moscow and Kyiv face setbacks.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal published Saturday, the U.S. Department of Defense has been quietly limiting Ukraine’s ability to use advanced American-made long-range weapons, particularly the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), to strike deep into Russian territory. This restriction is reportedly hindering Ukraine’s capacity to fully utilize the weapons in its ongoing defense efforts against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
ATACMS missile Ukraine restrictions
Unnamed U.S. officials cited in the Journal say the Pentagon has implemented a discreet but firm approval process that prevents Kyiv from targeting locations within Russia’s borders using ATACMS, despite the systems being part of Washington’s military aid packages.
Putin Zelensky summit talks
While the White House has not made any public statements on the issue, the revelation comes at a tense time in international diplomacy. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been increasingly vocal about his frustrations over the protracted conflict, expressed his discontent last Friday during a press briefing. Trump noted that his recent diplomatic efforts — including a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and follow-up meetings with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — failed to yield any significant breakthroughs toward ending the war.
In a statement laden with frustration, Trump remarked:
“I’m going to make a decision as to what we do, and it’s going to be a very important one — whether that means massive sanctions, heavy tariffs, or perhaps even stepping back and saying, ‘This is your war.’”
Trump had reportedly been pushing for a direct sit-down between Putin and Zelensky in hopes of brokering a peace agreement, but that possibility appears to have stalled. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told NBC News that no such meeting is currently scheduled, citing the absence of a clear and mutually agreed-upon agenda.
“President Putin is willing to meet with President Zelensky once a summit agenda is properly outlined, but at this moment, there is no such plan,” Lavrov explained.
Long-range missile restrictions
Meanwhile, as Washington attempts to coax Moscow into participating in serious negotiations, it appears that U.S. defense leadership is treading carefully behind the scenes. According to the Wall Street Journal, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has the final authority over whether Ukraine can deploy ATACMS for cross-border strikes — a decision seen as a strategic effort to avoid escalating tensions with the Kremlin.
At the time of reporting, neither Ukraine’s presidential office nor its Ministry of Defense had responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. The White House and the Pentagon also remained silent.
