The authorization for the Ukrainians to use ATACMS long-range missiles was a response to Russia’s unexpected decision to engage North Korean troops in the conflict.
According to The New York Times, the current US President Joe Biden for the first time authorized the Ukrainian military to use long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory.
The weapons are likely to be used first against Russian and North Korean troops to protect Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, the sources said.
The authorization for the Ukrainians to use long-range ATACMS missiles was a response to Russia’s surprise decision to engage North Korean troops in the conflict, officials said.
The policy change is also intended to send a message to North Korea that its troops are weak, the NYT added.
While the Ukrainians are likely to first use the missiles against Russian and North Korean troops in the Kursk region, Biden may allow them to use the weapons elsewhere in Russia, US officials said.
Some US officials have expressed concern that Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles on Russian territory could prompt Russian leader Vladimir Putin to retaliate against the United States and its partners. in the coalition. But other American officials said they considered these concerns exaggerated, the newspaper wrote.
As the NYT notes, the Ukrainians could use ATACMS missiles to strike Russian and North Korean troop concentrations, key pieces of military equipment, logistics hubs, ammunition depots and lines of supply deep into Russian territory. This will help the Ukrainians undermine the effectiveness of the Russian-North Korean offensive.
Biden decided that the potential benefits—that Ukraine would be able to achieve some important goals it could not achieve, and that the United States could send a signal to North Korea that it would pay a heavy price for its intervention—were overwhelmed. , sources said of the risks of escalation.
The material states that if the attack by Russian troops on Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region is successful, Kyiv may find itself in a situation where it has almost no Russian territory left to offer Moscow in exchange for Ukrainian territory in negotiations.
The publication also notes that although British and French leaders have expressed support for President Vladimir Zelensky’s request for long-term strikes on Russian territory, they are in no rush to allow the Ukrainians to begin using their missiles into Russian territory unless Biden agrees to allow the Ukrainians. use ATACMS.
It was previously reported that Washington plans to immediately provide $6 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Source: korrespondent
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