US President Joe Biden’s administration has authorised Ukraine to use US-made weapons to strike deep into Russia, even though Trump’s spokesman refrained from commenting, one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers Richard Grenell criticised Biden’s decision.
‘Engages in escalating conflict before leaving office,’ Grenell said on social media X.
Ukraine plans to launch its first strikes with long-range missiles in the coming days, the sources said, without going into details for security reasons.
According to Reuters, the decision was ‘made two months before 20 January – the date Donald Trump returns to the White House – and after months of requests from Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to allow the Ukrainian military to use USA weapons to hit Russian military targets far from the border’.
According to a US official and a knowledgeable Reuters source, the White House’s change in stance on US weapons strikes deep inside Russia is largely in response to the deployment of North Korean ground troops in Russia, information that has not been confirmed by the official Kremlin.
Earlier, Russia warned that attempts to loosen restrictions on the use of US weapons would be seen as a significant escalation. In particular, TASS quoted First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov as saying that Washington’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with long-range US missiles could lead to World War III, and a reaction would follow immediately.
Ukraine’s first strikes deep into Russia are expected to be carried out with ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 190 miles (306 kilometres).
‘While some U.S. officials have expressed scepticism that strikes with long-range missiles could change the overall trajectory of the conflict, making such a decision could help Ukraine when the Russian army is making gains and put Kiev in a better negotiating position if or when peace talks do begin,’ Reuters writes.
The NYT, in turn, says the outgoing White House host’s decision is a key change in US policy that has divided his advisers into two camps.
‘Officials say that while the Ukrainians are likely to start by using missiles against Russian and North Korean forces threatening them in the Kursk region, President Biden may authorise them to use weapons anywhere else as well. Some U.S. officials fear that missile strikes on Russian territory would prompt President Vladimir Putin to retaliate with force against the United States and its allies. But other officials believe those fears are overblown,’ the US publication wrote.
It is obvious that after Trump’s victory in the presidential election, the Biden administration has set itself the goal of using the remaining time to provide Ukraine with support, which Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised. Perhaps the new US president will reverse Biden’s decision once he takes his seat in the Oval Office. Unless, of course, it is too late.
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