Joe Biden gives Ukraine permission to strike deep into Russia with ATACMS missiles - NYT

U.S. President Joe Biden nevertheless allowed Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with U.S. long-range ATACMS missiles.

Here's What We Know

This step, according to The New York Times, is aimed at protecting Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region from Russian and North Korean troops.

Biden's decision, which significantly changes US policy, was a response to Moscow's unexpected move to involve North Korean troops in combat. According to official sources, this was a decisive argument for allowing the use of ATACMS, which had previously been limited even in Russia's border regions.

This change came two months before the end of Biden's presidential term, on the eve of the inauguration of Donald Trump, who had already announced his intention to reduce support for Ukraine. The decision divided the current president's advisers, but Biden, according to officials, considered it necessary in the face of the escalating situation.

As a reminder, the United States handed over ATACMS missiles to Ukraine on 30 August 2023, but for more than a year their use was limited to striking targets in the temporarily occupied territories.

Source: NYT