Feitenbestand ATACMS infographic
Graphic shows details of U.S.-made ATACMS missile.
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MILITARY

Biden staat Oekraïne toe om Rusland te bestoken met langeafstandsraketten

November 18, 2024 - President Joe Biden’s administration has given the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the U.S. to strike targets inside Russia.

The move marks a major change in policy for Washington which had refused for months to agree to Kyiv’s requests for authorisation to use the ATACMS missiles outside its own borders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned Western nations against such a move, saying it would represent the NATO military alliance’s “direct participation” in the Ukraine war.

He was yet to comment on the latest development although other senior Kremlin politicians described it as a serious escalation.

Washington’s decision on ATACMS is couched in terms of being limited to the defence of Ukrainian forces inside Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a surprise incursion in August.

In effect, the Biden administration is telling Ukraine that it will support its efforts to hold onto the small chunk of Russian territory it currently occupies, as a powerful bargaining chip for any possible negotiations in the future, the BBC said.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 18/11/2024; STORY: Graphic News
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