The U.S. Defense Department has been withholding approval for Ukraine to use U.S-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against targets inside Russia since late spring, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing current American officials. Under a previously undisclosed review process designed by Undersecretary for Policy Elbridge Colby, each proposed strike must receive clearance from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The mechanism has already blocked at least one Ukrainian request and also applies to British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which depend on U.S. targeting data. Officials told the Journal the restriction is aimed at preserving U.S. missile stockpiles and, more importantly, at persuading the Kremlin to enter peace negotiations. The policy effectively reverses a late-2024 directive by former President Joe Biden that allowed Kyiv to strike military facilities up to roughly 190 miles inside Russia. President Donald Trump has publicly alternated between warning against escalation and arguing that Ukraine cannot win without offensive operations, but the White House, the Pentagon and the Ukrainian government have not commented on the report.