Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range U.S. missiles

Nov 19, 2024, 10:57 am

		0
A picture of an Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) taken in Queensland, Australia, on July 26, 2023./ Source: U.S. Army/ The Associated Press/ Yonhap News

Washington correspondent Ha Man-joo

U.S. President Joe Biden has reportedly allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the United States to strike inside Russia. As a result, Russian political circles are raising concerns over possible escalation of the war, warning that it could lead to World War III.

U.S. officials reportedly said the ATACMS missiles, which have a range of up to 190 miles (306 km), are likely to be used against Russian and North Korean soldiers to protect Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, according to the New York Times (NYT).

The officials reportedly added that the shift of Biden’s policy came in response to Russia’s decision to allow North Korean soldiers to fight in Ukraine. One of the goals of the policy change is to send a message to the North Koreans that their forces are vulnerable and that they should not send more of them. Biden has become concerned that Russia could overpower Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region if Ukraine failed to use long-range missiles.

The Russian military is launching a major assault by an estimated 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean troops, on dug-in Ukrainian positions in Kursk with the goal of retaking all of the Russian territory that the Ukrainians seized in August. The Ukrainians could use the ATACMS missiles to strike Russian and North Korean troop concentrations, key pieces of military equipment, logistics nodes, ammunition depots and supply lines deep inside Russia.

After finding out last year that North Korean planned to supply Russia with long-range ballistic missiles, Biden provided hundreds of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in April this year, imposing restrictions on using them only in Ukraine’s sovereign territory, including Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014.

Meanwhile, the Bloomberg reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could send up to 100,000 North Korean troops to support Russian President Vladimir Putin.

#Biden #Ukraine #ATACMS