The United States, the United Kingdom and France have allowed Ukraine to strike Russia with their long-range weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been asking for this for months.
With two months left in office, Joe Biden on Sunday gave the Ukrainian military permission for the first time to use ATACMS missiles to help defend troops in Russia’s Kursk region, insiders told The New York Times. Biden’s decision marks a major change in US policy. The choice would have divided his advisors.
The decision comes two months before recently elected President Donald Trump takes office. He has long been critical of the American approach in Ukraine and promised to limit further support to the country. The authorization to use US long-range weapons is also seen as a response to the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia.
US officials are divided over whether allowing long-range strikes will change the overall course of the war, according to Reuters, but the decision could help Ukraine at a time when the Russian military is winning. The American move may put Kiev in a better negotiating position when ceasefire talks take place.
Shortly after the American decision, it became known that France and the United Kingdom would also give Ukraine the same permission. The approval from Ukraine’s European allies concerns SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, according to The New York Times.
Ukraine is planning to carry out the first longer-range attacks in the coming days, Reuters said, citing insiders. Russia warned that Ukraine would view expanded use of U.S. weapons as a major escalation.