Biden authorizes Ukraine’s use of US-supplied long-range missiles deep in Russia
- 17 November, 23:00
US President Joe Biden has lifted restriction on Ukraine’s use of US-produced long-range missiles in attacks on Russian territory just two months before president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, an unnamed US official and three other persons familiar with the matter told media.
The easing of restriction is a significant policy shift that is likely to change the course of the Russia-Ukraine war. The decision will authorize Kyiv’s use of Army Tactical Missile System, ATACMs, for attacks deep in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleskiy has for months sought for Washington’s permission to use these missiles in Russia, saying the ban was hampering Kyiv’s ability to counter Kremlin’s attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and electrical grids.
The move seems to be in response to North Korean troops’ deployment in Russia, one of the unnamed sources told media. According to South Korean, Ukrainian and US intelligence reports, Pyongyang has deployed around 12,000 troops to Russia to help Kremlin in its war of invasion in Ukraine.
The lifting of the ban on long-missile ranges also comes amid Russia’s gains in the east of Ukraine. Some believe that the move is aimed at placing Kyiv in a better negotiating position during peace talks.
It should be noted that Trump is a critic of US military aid to Ukraine and has called for an end to the war in Ukraine. His re-election as the US president has caused concerns in Ukraine and its Western allies about the future of US aid to Kyiv. The United States is Ukraine’s largest military backer in the war in Russia, committing around $56.2 billion in security assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.
