Till now, America had never given approval to Kiev to use long-range missiles in Russia.
The Biden administration has made a significant policy change, allowing Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS missiles to attack targets inside Russia for the first time.
The decision comes just two months before President Joe Biden hands over power to Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about US military aid to Ukraine.
Ukraine has been using ATACMS missiles against Russian targets in occupied Ukrainian territory for more than a year, but the US previously banned their use inside Russia due to concerns of escalating the conflict.
Putin said in September, “This will drastically change the very essence, the nature of the conflict. It will mean that NATO countries, the US and European states are fighting alongside Russia.”
However, the recent deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia in the Kursk border area has prompted a change in policy.
Lockheed Martin ballistic missiles are some of the most powerful missiles provided to Ukraine, with a range of up to 300 km (186 mi), and could potentially be used to defend against Russian and North Korean troops targeting military targets in the Kursk region. Will be done. infrastructure, and ammunition storage.
Officials from both countries – Ukraine and the US – expect Russia and North Korea to retaliate to recapture the Kursk area.
Although the supply of missiles may not be enough to turn the tide of the war, they could give Ukraine an advantage at a time when Russian forces are making gains in the east of the country.
Western diplomats welcomed the decision as an “overdue symbolic step” to demonstrate military support for Ukraine, but warned that it may not be decisive.
Russian Federation senator Andrei Klishas said, “The West has decided to escalate tensions to such a level that by the morning the state of Ukraine will be completely ruined.”
Russian Federation senator Vladimir Dzhabarov has also said that it is a “huge step” towards World War III.
Donald Trump’s stance on the issue is unclear, with some of his officials advocating continued aid to Ukraine while others have suggested cutting aid.
His son, Donald Trump Jr., wrote on social media, “It seems the military industrial complex wants to make sure they have World War III before my father gets a chance to make peace and save lives.”
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz says Trump could accelerate arms supplies to Ukraine to persuade Russia to negotiate. Since the newly elected President aimed to resolve the conflict within one day, this may support his plan.
However, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance said during a speech in May, “We have done more than our fair share”. “I don’t think it’s in America’s best interest to fund what is effectively a never-ending war in Ukraine,” he said.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research organization, the US has allocated 56.799 billion euros in military aid until October 2024 and is the largest supplier of arms to Ukraine.
