Pressure on Biden to hand over ATACMS to Ukraine intensifies in the US Congress.

American lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are making a renewed push for the Biden administration to send Ukraine controversial long-range munitions, as Kyiv's long-expected counteroffensive appears to get underway.

According to Politico, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), with a range of over 300 kilometers, nearly four times that of Ukraine's existing rockets, has been the subject of intense debate for many months.

Almost a year ago, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed concerns that sending ATACMS could escalate the conflict into a Third World War, as Ukraine could use this weapon to launch attacks deep into Russia.

But in recent weeks, the administration’s opposition to sending the munitions is showing signs of weakening. President Joe Biden himself recently signaled he might be open to sending ATACMS. Asked whether Washington might agree to provide the missiles, the president said in late May that option is "still in play." A White House spokesperson later said the administration’s policy has not changed.

Now, a group of members of the House of Representatives led by legislator Jason Crow is increasing the pressure. In a letter to Biden on Thursday, 10 Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged the president to greenlight ATACMS as soon as possible.

"The war in Ukraine has become a conflict of grinding attrition. We can and must help break this stalemate. By swiftly providing the Ukrainian forces with these additional capabilities, we can significantly improve their chances of victory, restore peace to Europe, and ensure a more stable and prosperous world," the lawmakers wrote.

Advocates of sending ATACMS say that because they are fired from High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems already sent to Ukraine, they don't require extensive training and or logistical chains, and could be fielded immediately.

The letter also calls on the president to approve other advanced weaponry, including US-made F-16 fighter jets and additional air defense capabilities such as another Patriot missile defense system. It also urges him to expedite the transfer of US M1 Abrams tanks, which are expected to arrive in Ukraine by the end of the year.

US officials have become less concerned that sending more advanced weaponry might escalate the conflict, as Ukraine proved repeatedly that it would not use US equipment to strike into Russian territory, Crow said in an interview.

He acknowledged that the reluctance to send ATACMS now stems more from Pentagon fears that the US has a limited number of missiles in its stockpiles, he acknowledged. But Crow's counterargument is that it's worth the short-term risk of sending ATACMS in order to help Ukraine win the war. The Pentagon's long-term plan is to transition away from ATACMS to more advanced missiles in the pipeline anyway.

Recall that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called on "those who can" to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons.