In a major reversal, Biden is reportedly ready to use US arms in Ukraine to strike inside Russia
President Joe Biden's administration has allowed Ukraine to use US-made weapons to attack deep into Russia, two US officials and a source familiar with the decision said on Sunday, in a major shift in Washington's policy on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Ukraine plans to carry out its first long-range attack in the coming days, the sources said, without disclosing details due to security concerns.
The move comes two months before president-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20 and follows months of urging by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow the Ukrainian military to use US weapons to strike Russian military bases far from its border.
“Today, many in the media say that we have received permission to take appropriate measures,” Zelenskyy said in a speech on Sunday evening.
“But strikes are not made with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West against supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles, saying NATO risks 'war' if they cross the red line. Andrew Rasiulis, a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, joins Canada Tonight to break down Putin's warning.
The change comes largely because of Russia's deployment of ground troops to North Korea to supplement its forces, a development that has caused alarm in Washington and Kyiv, a US official and a source familiar with the decision said.
The White House and the US State Department declined to comment. Ukraine's foreign ministry and the presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Russia has warned that it will see a move to loosen restrictions on Ukraine's use of US weapons as a major escalation.
Ukraine's first deep strikes are likely to be carried out using ATACMS rockets, which have a range of up to 306 kilometers, according to sources.
Although some US officials have expressed doubts that allowing long-range strikes will change the course of the war, the decision could help Ukraine at a time when Russian forces are gaining ground and possibly put Kyiv in a better negotiating position when and if talks to end the war do take place.
It is not clear whether Trump will reverse Biden's decision if he takes office. Trump has long criticized the level of US financial and military aid to Ukraine and has vowed to end the war quickly, without explaining how.
Some Ukrainians expressed dismay that Donald Trump's victory in the US election could mean the end of the country's support against Russia. Trump has publicly criticized sending Ukraine billions in military aid, and has said he could make a deal to 'end the war in a day.'
A spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But one of his closest foreign policy advisers, Richard Grenell, criticized the decision.
“Expanding the wars before he leaves office,” said Grenell, in an X post in response to the news.
Some Republicans in Congress had urged Biden to loosen rules on how Ukraine can use US-provided weapons.
Since Trump's victory in the November 5 election, senior officials of the Biden administration have repeatedly said that they will use the remaining time to ensure that Ukraine can successfully fight next year or negotiate peace with Russia from a “position of strength.”
'It's too late'
The US believes that more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia and that most of them have moved to the Kursk region and have begun participating in combat operations.
Russia has been advancing at a rapid pace since 2022 despite heavy losses, and Ukraine has said it has dealt with some of the North Korean troops sent to Kursk.
Worsened by the shortage of personnel, Ukrainian forces lost some of the territory they took during the invasion of Kursk in August, which Zelenskyy said could be a bargaining chip.
“Removing targeting restrictions will allow Ukrainians to stop fighting with one hand tied behind their backs,” said Alex Plitsas, non-resident official at the Atlantic Council.
“However, like everything else, I believe history will say that the decision came too late. Like ATACMS, HIMARS, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Abrams Tanks and the F-16. They were all urgently needed,” he said.
Despite Zelenskyy's urging, the White House has been reluctant to allow US-supplied weapons to be used for targeted attacks inside Russia for fear that this could escalate the conflict.
Some of Kyiv's allies have been providing weapons but there are restrictions on how and when they can be used inside Russia, due to concerns that the strikes could trigger retaliation that draws NATO countries into war or sparks a nuclear conflict.
Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, also called this a response to North Korea's involvement.
“President Biden responded to the entry of North Korean troops into the war and the massive Russian missile strike in a language that V. Putin understands – by removing restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles,” Sikorski told X.
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