Sun Aug 24 07:19:05 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

The Pentagon is reportedly blocking Ukraine from using U.S.-made long-range ATACMS missiles to strike targets within Russia. This limitation hinders Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against the Russian invasion. The news surfaces as U.S. President Trump expresses frustration over the stalled peace process and his inability to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine. Trump is considering imposing new sanctions or tariffs on Russia or withdrawing from the peace process altogether. Efforts to arrange a meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy have also been unsuccessful, with Russia stating that a summit agenda is not yet prepared. The Pentagon’s control over the use of ATACMS, specifically through Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, prevents Ukraine from launching deeper strikes into Russia.

**News Article:**

**The Hindu: U.S. Reportedly Restricting Ukraine’s Use of Long-Range Missiles Amidst Stalled Peace Talks**

*Washington D.C. – August 24, 2025* – The Pentagon is allegedly preventing Ukraine from utilizing U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to target locations within Russia, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. This restriction limits Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself against Moscow’s ongoing invasion, according to U.S. officials cited in the report.

The news comes as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly voices growing frustration over the three-year conflict and his failure to achieve a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Following unsuccessful meetings with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump stated on Friday that he is considering new economic sanctions or tariffs against Russia, or potentially abandoning the peace process entirely.

“I’m going to make a decision as to what we do and it’s going to be, it’s going to be a very important decision, and that’s whether or not it’s massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or we do nothing and say it’s your fight,” Trump said.

Efforts to organize a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy have also stalled. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told NBC that a meeting agenda is not ready.

The report states that the Pentagon’s approval process, specifically Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s authority, is preventing Ukraine from launching strikes deeper into Russian territory.

Neither the Ukrainian presidential office nor the Defence Ministry have commented on the report. The White House and Pentagon have also not responded to requests for comment. The reported restrictions could have significant implications for the trajectory of the conflict and the ongoing peace efforts.

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