Biden to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles: report

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has told his Ukrainian counterpart that the Washington will send Kiev a type of long-range missile capable of striking inside Russia, local media reported.

According to NBC News, it is unclear when the Army Tactical Missile System known as ATACMS will be delivered, nor is it certain when a formal announcement will be made.

The report cited three US officials and a congressional official familiar with the discussions. They were not authorized to disclose the information publicly.

Ukraine has long asked for ATACMS, from the US to boost its fighting forces in the ongoing conflict with Russia, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Biden administration had feared that Ukrainian troops would hit targets inside Russia using the long-range missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Washington on Thursday for a meeting with Biden at the White House.

Biden told reporters after the meeting that "the first US Abrams tanks" will arrive in Ukraine "next week."