Washington is leaning towards sending long-range missiles and fighter jets to Ukraine

A senior US congressman said during a visit to the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday that the consensus in Washington favored sending long-range missiles and fighter jets to Ukraine, long requested by Kiev fighting an invasion Russian.
Republican Michael McCall, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the Joe Biden administration and the National Security Council remain divided on “how quickly and what weapons” should be sent to Ukraine, which wants surface-to-surface missiles. » ATACMS and F-16 fighters.
“But I see an increase in support [в отношении передачи] artillery and planes,” he told reporters in downtown Kiev.
Washington has provided $24 billion in security aid to Kiev since the Russian invasion began, but has so far refrained from sending planes and long-range missiles.
McCall was in Kiev as part of a congressional delegation just a day after President Joe Biden pledged $500 million in new military aid during a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital.
McCall, who also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , said the Ukrainian leader had given him a list of weapons that Kiev needs, including F-16 fighter jets and ATACMS missile systems, which he said , could “reach Crimea” to destroy Iranian drones used by Russia to attack Ukrainian infrastructure.