Russia would view the White House’s approval for Ukraine to use U.S.-made long-range weapons within Russia as a “qualitatively new round of tensions” between Moscow and Washington, according to a Kremlin spokesperson on Monday.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson, warned that such permission would signify a significant escalation in Washington’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
On Sunday, two U.S. officials reported that President Joe Biden had authorized the use of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles in the Russian Kursk region, which have a range of approximately 190 miles. However, as of Monday morning, Ukraine had not used the missiles against Russian forces within Russia, a senior defense official confirmed.
Ukrainian leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had been advocating for months for the authorization to use these weapons within Russian territory. Previously, Ukraine had employed the ATACMS to target Russian bases in occupied Ukraine. Despite these requests, the Biden administration had refrained from granting this authorization, even during Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House in September.
Peskov described the policy change as a clear indication that the Biden administration intends to “continue to add fuel to the fire” in its final months. He emphasized that Moscow views the decision as a provocative step that would escalate tensions surrounding the conflict.
