Washington:
Until now, the US had never allowed Kiev to use long-range missiles in Russia.
The Biden administration has made a major policy change, allowing Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS missiles to strike targets in 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 had previously banned their use in Russia over concerns about escalating the conflict.
“It would substantially change the essence, the nature of the conflict. This will mean that NATO countries, the US and European states will fight with Russia,” Putin had said in September.
However, the recent deployment of North Korean troops in support of Russia in the Kursk border area has led to this policy change.
Lockheed Martin's ballistic missiles are among the most powerful missiles delivered to Ukraine, with a range of up to 300 km (186 miles), and are likely to be used in defense against Russian and North Korean forces in the Kursk region, targeting on military bases. infrastructure and ammunition storage.
Officials from both countries, Ukraine and the US, expect a counter-offensive by Russia and North Korea to retake the Kursk region.
While 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 gaining ground in the east of the country.
Western diplomats have welcomed the decision as a “long overdue symbolic step” to show military support for Ukraine, but warn it may not be decisive.
“The West has decided on such a level of escalation that by morning it could end with a complete ruin of the Ukrainian state,” said Andrei Klishas, a senator of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Jabarov, also a senator of the Russian Federation, has said that this is a “very big step” towards World War III.
Donald Trump's position on this issue remains unclear; some of its officials are advocating continued aid to Ukraine, while others are suggesting an end to the aid.
His son, Donald Trump Jr., wrote this on social media: “The military-industrial complex seems to want to ensure that World War III starts before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives.”
National security adviser Michael Waltz says Trump could speed up arms shipments to Ukraine to get Russia to negotiate. Since the president-elect's goal was to resolve the conflict within a day, this could support his plan.
However, Vice President-elect JD Vance said during a speech in May that “we have done more than our fair share.” “I don't think it's in America's interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine,” he added.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research organization, the US has allocated 56.799 billion euros in military aid as of October 2024 and is the largest arms supplier to Ukraine.
