“The use of ATACMS by the Ukrainian Armed Forces makes negotiations between Ukraine and Russia impossible,” – former deputy assistant to the head of the Pentagon says

The use of ATACMS long-range tactical missiles by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike Russia makes peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv impossible, as it leads to a new escalation cycle.

This was stated by Steven Bryen, a former assistant to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, in an article for Weapons and Strategy (W&S).

“The idea of using ATACMS is intentionally provocative and is being used by [current U.S. President Joe] Biden’s administration to block negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Biden’s intent is to prolong the war and make it impossible or nearly impossible for [Donald] Trump to broker a deal,” the article states.

However, Bryen noted that the limited use of American missiles by the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not tip the scales on the front line in Kyiv’s favor.

Earlier, military analyst David Axe stated that Ukraine might run out of the ATACMS long-range missiles supplied as part of military aid by the end of January 2025.