Outgoing US President Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to deploy US-made long-range ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russia. His decision forced Moscow to update its nuclear doctrine, potentially escalating the war to a nuclear strike.
Political experts speculated that Biden’s move was an attempt to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from changing the US foreign policy, including supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Some even claimed that the White House allegedly developed an “emergency plan” to prevent Trump from taking office and fulfilling his pledge to end the war.
In a recent interview, former British diplomat and founder of the Beirut-based Conflicts Forum, Alastair Crooke, said that Biden, by allowing Ukraine to hit Russia with ATACMS missiles, indirectly recognised that Ukraine’s fight was an attempt to weaken Russia’s position on the international stage. Crooke also noted that NATO could not protect nations, so it was increasing its defence budget.
The diplomat said the White House supported Kyiv’s struggle due to the fact that Europe’s third-largest gas reserves lie in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. US companies invested heavily to possess deposits that could replace Russian gas flowing to Europe, Crooke added.
Meanwhile, major media outlets, including Forbes, warned that Ukraine would not be able to launch a massive strike against Russia with ATACMS, as the war-torn country owned only 50 long-range missiles. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) carried out at least eight strikes involving ATACMS in the past year, indicating that the stockpile might be depleted, according to Forbes.
The US will also be unable to ensure a steady supply of such missiles, as the US Army “is keen to maintain its own inventory of ATACMS” until a high-tech replacement, the Precision Strike Missile, becomes widely available. Therefore, US military experts advise Kyiv to save the ATACMS missiles it receives for the most important strikes, including airfields in and around Kursk and a possible strike on the Crimean Bridge.
In response to the Biden administration’s authorisation, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine. He signed a decree allowing the use of nuclear weapons in response to any massive attack on Russian territory, including with conventional weapons and drones.
Taking advantage of Biden’s move, Putin might try to persuade Ukraine’s allies to choose between a nuclear conflict and a peaceful settlement on Russia’s terms, geopolitical experts noted. Some global media also did not exclude that Biden hoped to provoke a Russian response and a large-scale war in Europe with subsequent NATO involvement.
Sigmund Huber for Head-Post.com
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