Biden approves Ukraine's missile strikes deep into Russia
The Biden administration has agreed to allow Ukraine to use American weapons for attacks deep into Russia. In September, Vladimir Putin warned against such a scenario. He threatened that if the West allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with long-range missiles, it would mean that "NATO countries are at war with Russia."
9:04 AM EST, November 18, 2024
Many pieces of information provided by Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.
Regarding the potential Western approval for using long-range missiles to attack targets in Russia, Putin was asked about this in September in St. Petersburg. At that time, speculations on this topic were still ongoing.
"We are dealing with an attempt to change concepts. We are not talking about allowing or prohibiting the Kyiv regime to strike Russian territory. The regime conducts attacks as it does—using drones and other means," Putin stated. "But when it comes to using Western precision long-range weapons, it's a completely different story," he emphasized.
In his opinion, Ukrainians are not able to independently use Western long-range weapons to attack targets in Russia. They need intelligence data from satellites, which Ukraine does not have. They would, therefore, have to obtain it from American or European satellites. "Ukrainian pilots are also not able to launch these missiles from their aircraft," he argued.
According to Putin, the discussion is, therefore, not about whether to give Ukraine permission to use Western long-range weapons but whether NATO should directly engage in this conflict.
"If such a decision is made, it will mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine. It would change the nature of the conflict. It would mean that NATO countries are at war with Russia," Putin said in September.
"And if that happens, considering the change like this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us," he added.
Breakthrough U.S. decision. Biden's approval on Ukraine
Reuters reported that the change in the U.S. decision was influenced by Russia's deployment of North Korean ground troops on the front.
Biden's decision marks a change in the policy conducted since the beginning of the war. In May, the president agreed to the use of American weapons for strikes in the border regions on the Russian side, but it did not include the use of ATACMS and other longer-range missiles.
Representatives of Kyiv had long been advocating for such a change, but the administration had so far refrained from making the decision.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin argued that lifting the restrictions would not change much, as Ukraine has its weapons with similar and longer ranges, and the Russians have moved some of their assets—such as bombers used for shelling Ukraine—deeper into the country, out of the range of ATACMS.
Biden was concerned that it could lead to an even greater conflict escalation, and the Kremlin warned that it would view such a move as a significant escalation.
