The U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, has confirmed that Washington is supplying weapons to Ukraine capable of striking targets deeper inside Russian territory.
In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Whitaker stated, “We are providing long-range strike capabilities, and most likely the Ukrainians are going to use them.” Although he did not specify the exact systems involved, his remarks align with recent reports that the administration of President Donald Trump is planning to sell Ukraine 3,350 Extended Range Missiles (ERAM) in a deal valued at $850 million. The bulk of the funding is expected to come from NATO allies Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway.
Whitaker praised Trump for “doing things differently than Biden,” adding, “President Trump’s making sure that Ukraine can continue to defend itself, and by giving them some deeper strike capabilities, that obviously could help them offensively.”
The comments follow Trump’s recent criticism of his predecessor’s policy. In November, former President Joe Biden authorized the use of Western-supplied missiles in Russian territory, though without direct U.S. satellite targeting data. At the time, then President-elect Trump criticized that decision as unnecessarily provocative.
On August 21, Trump used his Truth Social platform to accuse Biden of keeping Ukraine “on the defensive” and pledged “interesting times ahead” as his administration shifted toward arms sales rather than unconditional aid.
While Trump maintains that his administration is “selling, not giving” weapons to Ukraine, the potential authorization of strikes deep into Russian territory could mirror key elements of Biden’s strategy. Analysts warn such a move risks escalating the conflict further, as similar actions last year prompted Russia to retaliate with an Oreshnik missile strike on a factory in Dnipropetrovsk.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, Moscow rejected proposals for European and U.S. security guarantees that excluded Russian interests, and reiterated its opposition to NATO troops deploying to Ukraine as part of any future peace deal. These unresolved issues have hindered progress in negotiations, despite Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.