John Kirby Confronted Live on Fox Over Biden’s Refusal to ‘Move the Needle’ in Ukraine: ‘Why Not Help Them More?’

National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby was confronted over Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich’s reporting during a live interview with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer on Wednesday, who forced him to defend President Joe Biden’s refusal to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles.

On X, Heinrich reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would not “NOT depart the WH with a new US pledge to provide ATACMS, the long-range missiles Ukraine has been seeking.”

Hemmer raised the subject with Kirby just moments after Heinrich reported it.

“One hundred to 190 miles they can travel. It seems like they would be absolutely lethal on behalf of the Ukrainians in fighting this war with Russia. Why would they not happen?” he asked.

“We are still, and the president has said this, we’re still in discussions about the ATACMS. They have not been taken off the table,” replied Kirby, said he wouldn’t “get ahead” of Biden on the issue.

“But I can assure you that we have and we will continue consistently to provide security assistance to Ukraine, arms and equipment, weapons and capabilities so that they can defend themselves,” he added.

“But why not give them something that actually moves the needle?” inquired Perino. “We provide them with enough to keep them in the fight but not enough to win, and so what we’re doing is we’re just helping them and it feels like they’re losing slowly.”

“I just have to beg to differ a little bit that we’re not giving them what they need to win,” countered Kirby. “They are succeeding. In fact, President Zelensky has even said so himself as recently as yesterday. In the southern line of advance down coming out of Zaporizhzhia they are making progress, Dana. They are moving forward and they’re moving forward because of the training and the tools that we have given them.”

“They’re not as far as you thought they should be at this point,” shot back Perino.

“They’re not as far as they thought they should be because the Russians have entrenched defenses in depth,” acknowledged Kirby.

Perino continued her line of questioning by asking “So why not help them more?”

“We are helping them more, and you’re going to hear more from the president about this, from President Zelensky,” insisted Kirby.

Watch above via Fox News.