Pokrovsk, Ukraine – November 16: Local residents walk past destroyed houses in the city about 10 kilometers from the front line on November 16, 2024 in Pokrovsk, Ukraine. (Photo by Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images)
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The Kremlin has pushed back against the White House’s decision to now allow Ukraine to use U.S.-made long-range weapons to carry out limited strikes within Russian territory.
The decision, nbc news reportmarking a major shift in Washington’s policy, just two months before the end of the term of President Joe Biden, who has led the United States in the conflict in Ukraine since Russia’s massive invasion in February 2022.
Previously, the Biden administration restricted the deployment of US-made long-range weapons arsenal on the battlefield in Ukraine, but gave Kyiv the green light to use the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMAR) for cross-border attacks to defend Ukraine.
The latest authorization is as follows North Korean military deployment Backing Moscow, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in stalled conflict qualified It was “one of the largest Russian attacks” against Russia over the weekend.
“It is clear that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps to continue to add fuel to the fire and continue to stoke tensions surrounding this conflict,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Monday, according to Reuters situation.
“If such a decision is actually made and communicated to the regime in Kiev, then of course it will be a new round of tensions and a new situation from the perspective of the United States’ involvement in this conflict,” he added. Google Translate Comment Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reports.
Ukraine relies on Western allies for military and humanitarian assistance, including the supply of weapons – weapons provided by NATO members mainly for defense purposes in Ukraine due to concerns about further escalation of the war and Russian retaliation. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin warned in an interview with reporters on September 12 that any NATO country could make a decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons against targets on Russian soil. to directly participate in the war.
“The question is not whether the Ukrainian regime is allowed to use these weapons against Russia. The question is to make a decision: whether a NATO country is directly involved in a military conflict. If this decision is made, what does that mean?” NATO countries – the United States, European countries ——directly participated in the war in Ukraine,” Putin said at the time. According to Russian state news agency TASS.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, however, warn that Washington’s limited authorization may not be enough to materially change the course of the battlefield.
“The partial lifting of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range weapons to attack military targets in the Kursk Oblast will not completely deprive Russian troops of sanctuary on Russian territory, as hundreds of military targets remain at ATACMS in other Russian border areas Within range. they said in a notewith reference to the U.S. Army Long Range Tactical Missile System.
They added that “Russian forces will benefit from any partial asylum if Western countries continue to restrict Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, and the United States should allow Ukraine to strike all legitimate military targets within Russia’s operational range and deep within the United States’ rear areas.” Weapons were provided. – Not just the weapons of the Kursk region.
“The only way to truly stop this terror is to eliminate Russia’s ability to launch attacks. That is absolutely realistic,” Zelensky Said on social media on Mondaywhich did not directly cite the U.S.-licensed report. “This is not just defense; this is justice – the right way to protect our people. Any country under attack would do this to protect its citizens. We must do so together with our partners. Russia must not be subject to any threaten.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses lawmakers during a parliamentary session in Kiev, Ukraine, October 16, 2024, introducing the so-called “Victory Plan” when Russia is attacking Ukraine.
Andrei Nesterenko Reuters
It remains to be seen whether European countries will follow Washington’s lead in using weapons against Kiev. CNBC has contacted the foreign ministries of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, the government’s main NATO allies, for comment.
Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers gathered in Brussels on Monday for talks that will also touch on the conflict in Ukraine.
“I have said time and again that Ukraine should be able to use the weapons we provide them not only to stop arrows but also to hit archers. I still believe that is what I am sure will be discussed again,” EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said before the meeting.
Such a decision raises questions about the extent to which Ukraine’s current long-range missile arsenal could support a direct attack, and comes as NATO prepares for the return of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to the White House – who has previously pledged to end the war in Ukraine within a day of taking office, but gave no details.
Still, Tytti Tuppurainen, a member of the Finnish parliament, told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro on Monday that the U.S. authorization “could mark a paradigm shift” in warfare.
“If this is true… I think we welcome this, we welcome this wholeheartedly. If we regret one thing, it’s that it came too late,” she added. “Europe must stand up now. This is a critical moment. This is certainly a wake-up call for Europe. From the American side, the election of Donald Trump tells us that we must take responsibility for our own destiny if Russia wins in Ukraine , which means that Russia will only continue.
