Russia is bristling with anger over a Biden administration decision to allow Ukraine to use longer-range weapons than previously approved to strike Russian territory.
“This decision is reckless, dangerous, aimed at a qualitative change, a qualitative increase in the level of involvement of the United States in this conflict,” Dmitry Peskov, a representative of the Kremlin, said, according to Reuters.
“It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps to continue adding fuel to the fire and continue to provoke tension around this conflict,” he said, according to NBC.
“If such a decision was really formulated and communicated to the Kyiv regime, then, of course, this is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation from the point of view of the US involvement in this conflict,” he said.
A report in The New York Times said that Russia’s use of North Korean troops was a factor in the decision.
The Times reported that about 10,000 North Korean soldiers are amassed to attack the Kursk region of Russia, which Ukraine has occupied since the summer.
The ATACMS system, an abbreviation for Army Tactical Missile System has a range of about 190 miles, allowing Ukraine to hit targets it cannot currently reach.
With a range of 190 miles, these missiles would allow Ukraine to strike military targets that it says would degrade Russia’s military, such as garrisons, logistical hubs and munitions depots that are beyond the reach of its artillery and shorter-range rockets.
NBC noted that Russian president Vladimir Putin said in September that giving Ukraine such weapons was tantamount to NATO attacking Russia, according to NBC.
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“The issue is not about allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. The issue is about making a decision: NATO countries directly participate 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 then.
The Institute for the Study of War said the decision might not change the grim reality that has faced Ukraine on the battlefield this past year.
“The partial lifting of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-provided long-range weapons against military objects within Kursk Oblast will not completely deprive Russian forces of their sanctuary in Russian territory, as hundreds of military objects remain within ATACMS range in other Russian border regions,” it wrote.
They added that “Russian forces will benefit from any partial sanctuary if Western states continue to impose restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and that the US should allow Ukraine to strike all legitimate military targets within Russia’s operational and deep-rear within range of US-provided weapons – not just those in Kursk Oblast.”
The U.S. decision could pave the way for other nations to give Ukraine freedom to use weapons as it wants, but that’s not assured.
“I’ve been saying once and again that Ukraine should be able to use the arms we provided to them, in order to not only to stop the arrow, but also to be able to hit the archers. I continue to believe this is what has to be done. And I’m sure will be discussed once again. I hope members will agree on that,” European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday before a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
The change “could mark a paradigm shift in the war,” Tytti Tuppurainen, a member of the Finnish parliament, said
“If it is true … I think we welcome that, we welcome that full-heartedly. If it is one thing we regret, it is that it comes so late,” she said.
“Europe has to stand up now. This is a critical moment. This is certainly a wake-up call for Europe. From the U.S. side, the election of Donald Trump tells us that we have to take the responsibility of our own destiny, and if Russia wins in Ukraine, it means that Russia will only continue,” she added.
Putin had made Russia’s position clear when speaking in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September.
Putin said on Sept. 12 that Western approval for such a step would mean “the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine” because NATO military infrastructure and personnel would have to be involved in the targeting and firing of the missiles.
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