by Martin Haffner, Associate Editor
US President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range ballistic missiles to strike inside Russia, The New York Times said, citing US officials.
The newspaper noted that the decision was made two months before Biden vacates the presidential office. “Mr. Biden’s decision is a major change in U.S. policy,” it wrote, adding that this decision has divided his advisers.
According to The New York Times the long-range missiles, known as the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS will be used against the Russian and North Korean military “to help [Ukraine] defend its forces in the Kursk region of Russia.” However, US officials said that they don’t’ expect that this step will “fundamentally alter the course of the war,” the newspaper added.
However, it is not ruled out that Biden may allow to use American missiles to deliver strikes not only on the Kursk Region but also elsewhere in Russia, it noted. “Some U.S. officials said they feared that Ukraine’s use of the missiles across the border could prompt President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to retaliate with force against the United States and its coalition partners,” The New York Times noted.
Commenting on earlier “satellite images” released by Seoul that allegedly show the presence of North Korean servicemen in Russia, President Vladimir Putin called such photos a “serious matter.” However, the Russian leader emphasized that NATO servicemen have long been directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. Putin pointed out that the strategic partnership treaty between Moscow and Pyongyang includes a clause on joint defense.