U.S. President Joe Biden recently approved the use of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) at Ukraine’s request to target Russian positions. According to a report in The New York Times, this policy shift is a response to North Korea deploying troops to Russia.
Biden’s decision allows Ukraine to strike targets in western Russia using ATACMS directly. The missiles defend Ukrainian troops by targeting Russian and North Korean forces with a firing range of approximately 186 miles.
U.S. government officials stated that this policy change sends a strong message to North Korea, indicating that they should feel “militarily vulnerable” and refrain from sending additional troops. Ukraine has consistently requested U.S. support to attack military facilities in Russia, but the U.S. has limited this to avoid escalating into full-scale war.
Biden began to gradually relax restrictions on the use of U.S.-provided weapons after Russia intensified its attacks on the Kharkiv region of Ukraine in May. Initially, he allowed military strikes in border areas using the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which has a range of about fifty miles.
Despite the fact that the UK and France had already supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles, the U.S. hesitated to allow the use of long-range missiles like the ATACMS. Some officials expressed concerns about potential retaliation from Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the White House determined that the benefits of using long-range missiles outweighed the risks.
The Ukrainian government can now target key objectives that were previously out of reach, which is expected to bring about significant strategic changes in the war against Russia. Biden hopes that the ATACMS will effectively neutralize Russian forces in Kursk.
Following Ukraine’s offensive in August, Russia has been amassing large troops to prepare for a new offensive aimed at reclaiming its territory. North Korean military involvement has become particularly noticeable in this context. Now, Ukraine has the ATACMS in its arsenal.
International political repercussions are anticipated as President-elect Donald Trump has viewed additional support for Ukraine negatively, despite the fact that Biden’s decision appears to strengthen Ukraine’s position.
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