US President Joe Biden granted Ukraine permission to deploy US-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia, The New York Times reported.
US officials said the long-range missiles, known as the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, were likely to be used initially against Russian and North Korean forces in the Kursk region, an internationally recognised Russian territory. However, Biden’s decision marked a major shift in US policy, as the move split the president’s advisers and caused upheaval around the world.
The policy shift comes two months before President-elect Donald Trump, who pledges to limit further aid to Ukraine, takes office. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not confirm authorisation for the strike, but said on Sunday:
Today, many in the media are talking about the fact that we have received permission to take appropriate actions. But blows are not inflicted with words. Such things are not announced. The rockets will speak for themselves.
Some US officials said they feared that Ukraine’s use of missiles across the border might prompt Russian President Vladimir Putin to retaliate against the US and its coalition partners. In response to the move, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova recalled that Putin had already spoken about the retaliation to such a decision by the US and Kyiv’s other allies.
In September, Putin stated that it would mean direct involvement of the US and other NATO countries in the war in Ukraine, forcing Moscow to take more decisive action.
Russian senator and first deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Vladimir Dzhabarov, also said that Biden’s authorisation could lead to the outbreak of World War III.
This is a very large step towards starting World War III, and the Americans will do it by the hands of the outgoing elder [President Joe Biden], who will no longer be responsible for anything in two months. I think Russia’s response will be immediate.
Shortly after the US decision, some European media reported that Germany also allowed Ukraine to use its Taurus cruise missiles to strike deep into Russia, but the articles were promptly deleted. As Germany is gripped by a political crisis amid the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, the country is focusing on domestic turmoil, experts argue. Reports of the UK authorising the use of Storm Shadow have also not been confirmed officially.
Russia’s response
On Sunday, 17 November, Russian troops carried out a large-scale strike on Ukraine’s critical energy and military facilities, the Russian Defence Ministry reported. The strikes, which could have been a response to the authorisation, targeted energy sites that ensured the operation of the country’s military-industrial complex, the military added.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU) said that the Russian military struck with 120 missiles and 90 drones. Zelensky confirmed that energy infrastructure was the target of the strike, admitting the damage. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attack as “one of the largest.”
Military and political experts argue that Biden’s permission appears to be a decision by the outgoing US administration to leave Trump’s peace plan no chance. The White House is purposefully escalating the conflict, forcing Russia to retaliate and dragging the US and NATO into the war in Ukraine. The move also reduces the likelihood of a ceasefire and negotiations in the near future.
