The Kremlin has pushed back against the White House's decision to now allow Ukraine to make use of US-made long-range weapons for limited attacks on Russian territory.
The decision, reported by NBC Newsmarks a serious shift in Washington policy, just two months before the top of the mandate of President Joe Biden, who has led the U.S. involvement within the Ukraine conflict since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Previously, the Biden administration restricted the usage of American long-range weapons on the Ukrainian battlefield but approved Kiev's use of US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in cross-border strikes to defend Ukraine.
The latest authorization follows this Deployment of North Korean troops To support Moscow within the stagnant conflict, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky qualified as “one of the biggest Russian attacks” against his country over the weekend.
“It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington wants to take steps to further fuel the fire and continue to provoke tensions around this conflict,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Monday, in line with Reuters.
“If such a decision was really formulated and communicated to the Kiev regime, then of course it is a qualitatively new round of tensions and a qualitatively new situation from the point of view of US participation in this conflict,” he added. translated into Google Comments reports the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.
Ukraine relies on Western allies for military and humanitarian aid, including the supply of weapons, which NATO members have supplied largely for defense purposes on Ukrainian soil, fearing further war escalation and Russian retaliation. In a conversation with journalists on September 12, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin warned that a possible decision at the moment by a NATO country to permit Ukraine to make use of long-range weapons against targets on Russian soil would amount to direct participation within the war.
“It's not about allowing the Ukrainian regime to attack Russia with these weapons or not. It's about making a decision: NATO countries will participate directly in the military conflict or not. If this decision is made, it will mean nothing other than the direct participation of NATO countries – the United States, European countries – in the war in Ukraine,” Putin said at the time. according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Still, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War warn that Washington's limited powers may prove insufficient to significantly change course on the battlefield.
“Ukraine's partial lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range Western weapons against military objects in Kursk Oblast will not completely deprive the Russian armed forces of their sanctuary on Russian territory, as hundreds of military objects remain within ATACMS range in other Russian border regions, ” one note saidwith reference to the US Army's long-range missile system.
They added that “Russian forces will benefit from any partial sanctuary if Western states continue to restrict Ukraine's ability to defend itself, and that the US should allow Ukraine to attack all legitimate military targets within Russia's operational reach and range.” to attack deep in the hinterland within U.S. reach.” provided weapons – not only those in Kursk Oblast.”
“The only way to truly stop this terror is to take away Russia’s ability to launch attacks. And that is absolutely realistic,” said Zelensky said on social media Mondaywithout directly referring to the US approval reports. “It's not just about defense, it's about justice – the right way to protect our people. Any nation under attack would act in this way to defend its citizens. We must do the same, together with our partners. Russia must say no.” Ability to terrorize.
It stays to be seen whether European countries will follow Washington's example regarding Kiev's use of their weapons. Key Western ally France maintains Kiev's right to self-defense – which a diplomatic source said will not be limited to Ukrainian territory – and which entitles the country to neutralize Russian targets directly involved in operations against Ukraine.
In preparation for the G20 summit in November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the necessity to double support for Ukraine, without mentioning the usage of weapons. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday that the US's reported decision was not a rethink but a “tightening” of existing policy and likewise referred to Ukraine's right to self-defense.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday for talks that may also give attention to the Ukraine conflict.
“I have said again and again that Ukraine should be able to use the weapons we have provided to it, not only to stop the arrow, but also to hit the archers. I remain convinced that this is the case.” “This must be done. And I am sure this will be discussed again,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said before the meeting.
Such a call raises questions on the extent of Ukraine's current long-range missile arsenal to support direct attacks, at a time when NATO is preparing for the return to the White House of US President-elect Donald Trump – who had previously promised war in Ukraine to finish inside a day of taking power, without providing any information.
Still, the U.S. approval “could represent a paradigm shift in war,” Finnish Parliament member Tytti Tuppurainen told CNBC's Silvia Amaro on Monday.
“If it's true… I feel we welcome that, we welcome that wholeheartedly. If there's one thing we regret, it's that it's coming so late,” she added. “Europe must stand up now. This is a critical moment. This is certainly a wake-up call for Europe. From the US side, the election of Donald Trump shows us that we must take responsibility for our own destiny, and “If Russia wins in Ukraine, meaning Russia will only move on.”
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