President Biden has decided to let Ukraine use American-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper into Russia, according to the Associated Press. This marks a significant change in U.S. policy that had previously tried to prevent the conflict from expanding.
The timing of this decision comes as thousands of North Korean soldiers have moved into position along Ukraine’s northern border to help Russia reclaim lost territory. It also follows President-elect Trump’s statements about quickly ending the war and his doubts about continued U.S. support for Ukraine.
According to a source cited by the Associated Press, Ukraine is likely to use these weapons, known as ATACMs, in response to North Korea’s decision to help Russian President Putin’s invasion.
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Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and his Western allies have long asked Biden to allow strikes on military targets deeper in Russia using Western missiles. They argued that without this ability, Ukraine couldn’t effectively stop Russian attacks on its cities and power grid.
Biden had previously resisted these requests, wanting to avoid any actions that might pull the U.S. and NATO into direct conflict with Russia. Some of Ukraine’s supporters believe these kinds of restrictions could lead to Ukraine losing the war, creating disagreements among NATO allies.
The situation has grown more complicated with North Korea’s involvement. They’ve sent up to 12,000 troops to help Russia reclaim territory in the Kursk border region that Ukraine captured this year. U.S. and South Korean intelligence reports that North Korea is also supplying Russia with significant amounts of weapons.
Trump, who takes office in January, has talked about wanting to end the war quickly but hasn’t clearly stated whether he supports Ukraine’s victory. He has criticised Biden’s administration for providing billions in aid to Ukraine, raising concerns among Ukraine’s allies that a rushed peace deal might favour Putin.
The United States remains Ukraine’s strongest ally, having provided over $56.2 billion in military aid since Russia invaded in February 2022. However, the Biden administration has often delayed sending certain advanced weapons to Ukraine, only agreeing after careful consideration and pressure from Ukraine and other allies.
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