Two Months Before Trump's Inauguration... Biden Authorizes US Missiles to Strike Russian Mainland from Ukraine

Seeming to Be Mindful of North Korea Troop Deployment and Trump’s Armistice Negotiations

U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly set to allow Ukraine to strike Russian mainland targets with long-range missiles provided by the United States. This move is analyzed as a measure to send a message to North Korea to halt troop deployments while simultaneously strengthening Ukraine's currently disadvantaged negotiating position ahead of the Trump administration's peace push expected to launch next year.

Yonhap News

On the 17th (local time), major foreign media outlets, citing multiple sources, reported that Ukraine is expected to carry out its first long-range attack against Russia within the next few days. It is highly likely that Ukraine's initial strike on Russian mainland will use ATACMS rockets, which have a range of approximately 306 km.

Until now, the United States had refrained from providing Ukraine with weapons capable of deep strikes into Russian territory due to concerns over escalation. Additionally, the weapons supplied came with restrictions prohibiting their use for such purposes. However, this time, the U.S. is significantly shifting its policy by permitting Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to target Russian mainland.

This U.S. decision comes amid North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia and the involvement of large numbers of North Korean soldiers in combat against Ukraine. It is explained as a message to North Korea that no further troop deployments are acceptable. It is also analyzed that the peace plan of President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20 next year, influenced this decision. With Trump having declared his intention to end the Russia-Ukraine war within a day of taking office, enabling Ukraine?currently at a relative disadvantage?to strike Russian mainland could allow Ukraine to enter peace negotiations from a stronger position than before.