President Joe Biden could approve Ukraine's request to use long-range Western weapons deep inside the Russian territory as long as it will not use U.S.-supplied armaments for such operations.
In the past, Biden has been hesitant to allow Ukraine to use American weapons for attacks against Russian borders due to a potential escalation. However, in recent months, U.S. officials have become more open to expanding the capacity of Ukraine for long-range strikes, particularly following the successful incursion of Ukraine into the Kursk region of Russia. (Related: Ukraine launches HUNDREDS of drones targeting energy infrastructure in Russia, including a major oil refinery in Moscow.)
This development came after newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain visited Washington on Sept. 13.
The U.K. has already supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of about 155 miles – three times greater than the previous capabilities of Ukraine missiles. However, these missiles have been restricted from striking targets within Russia itself. Now, the U.K. and France have already signaled their willingness to allow Ukraine to use the said missiles to strike Russian targets far from the Ukrainian border.
However, Ukraine still awaits explicit approval from Biden.
The U.S. has so far provided Ukraine access to the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) missiles, which have a range of 190 miles, but it has been cautious about permitting strikes inside Russia. Concerns have centered around the possibility of escalating tensions with Moscow, particularly due to fears that Russia could respond with nuclear weapons.
But on Sept. 10, Biden acknowledged the possibility of authorizing long-range missile strikes inside Russia. "We are working that out right now," he said.
Putin warns of war if U.S., allies allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles
In line with this, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S. on Sept. 12 that allowing Western technical support for such missile strikes would mean that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries are at war with Russia.
"We are not talking about allowing or not allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons," Putin said in an interview with propagandist Pavel Zarubin. "We are talking about deciding whether NATO countries are directly involved in the military conflict or not. This will mean that NATO countries, the U.S. and European countries are at war with Russia. And if this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us."
State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin echoed these statements in a Telegram post on Sept. 13.
"NATO became a participant in military operations in Ukraine," Volodin wrote. "They are waging war on our country."
The same day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters that the message of Putin was "extremely clear, unambiguous and does not allow for any double readings."
"We have no doubt that it has reached its intended recipients," Peskov said.
Visit WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Watch this episode of "Alex in Cyprus" as host Alex Christoforou comments on the imminent transportation of JASSMs to Ukraine.
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