The American channel NBC, citing the US military, said that “President Joe Biden’s administration rejected Ukraine’s request for long-range missiles, fearing that this would provoke a dangerous response from Russia.” .

According to the channel, representatives of the Ministry of Defense expressed fears “of the possibility of using missiles against targets on Russian territory, which could lead to the outbreak of a wider war with Russia.”

Last July, U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley indicated that “the United States expects to provide Ukraine with as many long-range weapons as it needs in the coming months.”

Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov warned the United States against “supplying long-range missiles to Kyiv, as this has unpredictable consequences for global security.”

In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that “if Washington decides to provide Kyiv with long-range missiles, it will cross the red line and become a direct party to the conflict.”

Russia’s representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, also threatened that Russia “reserves the right to strike at decision-making centers in Ukraine if Kyiv uses long-range missile launchers to shell its territory.”