In a stunning policy reversal that has sent shockwaves through the international community, US President Joe Biden has authorized the use of long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory. The controversial decision, announced on Sunday, permits Ukraine to deploy US-made Atacms rockets with a range of 190 miles (300km) against Russian and North Korean forces in the Kursk region.
The move marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with some Russian lawmakers warning that it could lead to a third world war. Maria Butina, a member of Russia’s ruling United Russia party, accused the Biden administration of trying to escalate the situation “to the maximum” while they still have power.
These guys, Biden’s administration, is trying to escalate the situation to the maximum while they still have power and are still in office.
Maria Butina, Russian lawmaker
Butina, who was jailed in the US for 18 months in 2019 after trying to infiltrate conservative groups and promote Russian interests, expressed hope that former President Donald Trump would reverse the decision if he returns to power. She argued that the Biden administration was “seriously risking the start of World War Three” by allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with US weapons.
Ukraine Confirms Policy Change
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to confirm the news of the US policy reversal, though he suggested that the ultimate proof would emerge on the battlefield when the missiles are used. “Today, there’s a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves. They certainly will,” Zelenskyy said.
Russian Response to Missile Decision
The Kremlin has long warned that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with long-range Western missiles would be seen as a direct involvement of NATO countries in the conflict. In late October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the defense ministry was working on different ways to respond if the United States and its NATO allies helped Ukraine carry out such attacks.
I guess there are some people in the United States who have nothing to lose for whatever reason or who are completely off the grid so much that they simply do not care.
Maria Butina, Russian lawmaker
Deadly Attacks Continue
As the debate over the US missile decision rages on, the war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating. On Sunday evening, a Russian missile struck a residential nine-story building in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, killing at least ten people, including two children, and injuring 52 others.
“Sunday evening for the city of Sumy became hell, a tragedy that Russia brought to our land,” said Volodymyr Artyukh, the head of the Sumy military administration, in a post on the administration’s Telegram channel.
The attack was part of a larger assault on Ukraine’s power grid that Kyiv said involved 120 missiles and 90 drones, marking the largest missile and drone assault since August and the first major Russian offensive since the US election. The strikes left much of Ukraine without power, with the country’s principal energy supplier, Ukrenergo, announcing that blackouts and consumption restrictions would be introduced “in all regions” as engineers worked to repair the damage.
International Reaction
The escalation in the conflict has drawn mixed reactions from world leaders. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his recent phone call with Putin, arguing that “no one will stop Putin with phone calls.”
The attack last night, one of the biggest in this war, has proved that telephone diplomacy cannot replace real support from the whole west for Ukraine.
Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister
Scholz defended his decision, telling reporters that it was important to tell Putin that he cannot count on support from Germany, Europe, and many others in the world waning. He added that the conversation was very detailed but contributed to a recognition that little has changed in the Russian president’s views of the war.
As world leaders gather for the G20 summit in Brazil this week, the war in Ukraine is expected to be at the top of the agenda. With tensions escalating and no end to the conflict in sight, the international community faces a daunting challenge in finding a path to peace while supporting Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russian aggression.
