Is Biden and NATO planning to escalate the proxy war in Ukraine now in order to ensure that Trump will not be able to successfully end the war?
Russia states they will be forced to respond directly to those nations who have provided these long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Moscow’s position on the issue was formulated clearly earlier this year by President Vladimir Putin, who has said that attacks along the lines requested by Zelensky would be impossible without the direct contribution of Western intelligence and military expertise, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated. If conducted, such strikes would mean that “NATO nations are at war with Russia,” he warned.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has praised the reported decision by the US to allow Ukraine to launch long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory, describing it as a “decisive moment.”
France is still considering allowing Ukraine to target Russian territory with French-supplied missiles, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said, after the US reportedly shifted its policy on the issue.
The decision by Washington “doesn’t change our assessment at the moment,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters on Monday, when asked if Chancellor Olaf Scholz would lift his ban on sending Taurus air-launched missiles to Kiev. Currently there is “no reason to make a different decision,” Pistorius added, speaking during a visit to a helicopter plant in Bavaria. Instead, the German military intends to provide 4,000 drones that use AI-assisted piloting, he said.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock [Green Party] made it clear that Berlin supports Biden’s decision, insisting that the use of long-range weapons is within the right of self-defense.
The UK has not sent any long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine for several months, likely due to its low stockpiles and a desire to use them more effectively, The Times reported on Sunday, citing sources. UK defense sources told The Times that the Labour Party’s stance on the matter likely stems from the fact that “UK stockpiles have reached a level below which military chiefs are not prepared to go,” as some missiles must be kept in reserve to protect London’s own interests.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that he had initially supported the lifting of restrictions on strikes deep into Russia, and this issue will be discussed at the Foreign Ministers council.
Spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the US Liu Pengyu underscored that Beijing condemns possible ATACMS missile strikes on Russian territory and actions that could lead to an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that Biden’s purported move means that America “has entered a phase of madness of North American imperialism.”
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