Key moment for Ukraine with US poised to lift missile curbs

Move vital amid risk of balance of power in the war turning decisively in Russia’s favour

- Jonathan Eyal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to arrive in Washington on Sept 13 for urgent consultations with US President Joe Biden.

The talks, which will include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, another key Western backer, are coming at a crucial moment in the Ukraine war, with the US poised to lift its previous restrictions and allow Ukraine's armed forces to use American missiles to strike deeper inside Russian territory.

Mr Zelensky desperately needs to obtain this US concession not only because the balance of power on the battlefield risks turning decisively in Russia's favour but also because he is coming under increasing pressure at home from a population dreading the hardships of winter, with inevitable shortages of food, electricity and household heating.

Mr Zelensky has to show not only that Ukraine retains its war-fighting stamina but also that its Western allies will continue their support as the stakes in the current war continue to mount.

In early August, Ukraine stunned Russia and surprised even its Western allies when, instead of just seeking to stop invading Russian forces, it launched its incursion into Russia's territory.

In political terms, the operation was a success.

The incursion seriously embarrassed Russian President Vladimir Putin; images of Russian civilians fleeing Ukraine's advancing tanks did not play well with Russia's public.

The operation was also a great morale booster for ordinary Ukrainians, who had been subjected to more than two years of Russian destruction.

It also did wonders for Ukraine's international reputation because it reminded its supporters that the country had not lost its fighting spirit.

In military terms, however, the Ukrainian incursion may turn out to be a costly failure.