The situation at a glance: Foreign Minister in Kyiv – Will Ukraine soon be allowed to shoot far?

The foreign ministers of the USA and Great Britain, Antony Blinken and David Lammy, are expected together in the Ukrainian capital Kiev today. This visit could bring the beleaguered Ukraine closer to being allowed to use Western weapons to attack military targets deep in Russian territory.

Before the trip, Blinken said in London that he and his colleague wanted to explore how best to support Ukraine in the current situation. They wanted to report this to their bosses for their meeting on Friday. US President Joe Biden will then receive British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington. The main issue is the use of US-made ATACMS artillery rockets and British Storm Shadow missiles.

A meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior government officials is planned in Kyiv, the US State Department said. The trip comes at a critical time for Ukraine, Blinken said. Russia is intensifying its aggression against civilians, important infrastructure and the Ukrainian military. “We are seeing it increase its attacks on cities, people and in particular the energy infrastructure ahead of the cold months,” said the US Secretary of State.

Ukraine has been fending off a large-scale Russian invasion for more than two and a half years. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in Kiev that because of the damage to the energy system, Ukraine is likely facing its most difficult winter of war to date. The Ukrainian military also reported Russian air strikes again on Wednesday night.

Will the restrictions on the use of US weapons be lifted?

So far, the US has limited the use of its weapons against Russia to defending against the Russian offensive against the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. But Ukraine has long been asking to be allowed to use long-range US-made weapons against targets far behind the Russian border. This is the only way to hit Russian military airfields from which fighter jets take off to drop glide bombs or fire missiles. These hit large cities like Kharkiv, but also Ukrainian trenches on the front lines. In Washington, several Republican politicians called on President Biden in a letter to lift the restrictions.

However, the ATACMS missiles provided by Washington so far only have a range of around 300 kilometers. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also recently admitted in Ramstein that the Russian military has already moved its fighter jets to more distant airfields for some time. So far, Ukraine has only used its own drones for attacks in the Russian hinterland, but these carry comparatively little explosives.

Germany has not supplied Ukraine with weapons with comparable ranges. It is tacitly accepted that Ukraine uses German tanks or artillery pieces, for example in its offensive in the Russian region of Kursk. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) strictly refuses to supply the most powerful German weapon, the Taurus cruise missile. With a range of 500 kilometers, this could also reach Moscow.

Kyiv government expects difficult winter

Prime Minister Shmyhal spoke in Kiev of the challenge of ensuring a stable energy supply in the coming heating season. “We have successfully survived three heating periods.” The coming winter will be “no less difficult, but perhaps even the most difficult.”

Russia began its war against its neighbour in February 2022, when heating was still in place. This was followed by two winters, which Ukraine survived despite numerous power outages. However, Russia’s systematic shelling of power and heating plants has brought a large part of Ukraine’s energy production to a standstill this year.

Ukraine is receiving equipment for its energy sector from all over the world, said Shmyhal. Attempts are being made to get damaged power plants back into operation. To make the energy system less vulnerable, it is being organized in a more decentralized manner.

Selenskyj demands more commitment from his diplomats

President Zelensky is demanding that his diplomats defend the interests of the country under attack by Russia more vigorously. The new Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha should restructure Ukrainian diplomacy “so that we and our partners can respond much more actively to challenges.” Zelensky said this in his evening video message. He had previously introduced Sybiha as the new minister in the Foreign Ministry.

Zelensky did not mention the previous Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who fell victim to a cabinet reshuffle last week. But his comments could be understood as criticism of previous Ukrainian diplomacy. Anyone who works for the country in the required way is welcome, he said. “Anyone who does not reach this level should consider whether they really should be in the Foreign Ministry system.”