US close to agreeing on long-range missiles for Ukraine; delivery to take months

FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to U.S. President Joe Biden speak at a Ukraine Compact meeting, on the sidelines of the NATO's 75th anniversary summit in Washington, U.S. July 11, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. is close to an agreement to give Ukraine long-range cruise missiles that could reach deep into Russia, but Kyiv would need to wait several months as the U.S. works through technical issues ahead of any shipment, U.S. officials said.

The inclusion of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) in a weapons package is expected to be announced this autumn, three sources said, though a final decision has not been made. The sources declined to be named because they are not authorized to discuss the topic.