Biden Allows Ukraine to Use US-Supplied Missiles for Strikes Inside Russia

President Joe Biden will authorize Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to launch strikes against Russian territory, three sources familiar with the decision told Reuters and multiple news outlets on Sunday.
Ukraine has for months urged the U.S. to authorize long-range strikes into Russian territory, but the White House has resisted doing so over fears of escalation. However, Moscow’s decision to deploy North Korean soldiers to the Ukrainian front has changed the administration’s thinking.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told RBC TV that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has already spoken on this matter.”
Russian media reported comments Putin made on September 12, in which he said: “It is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is about deciding whether NATO countries become directly involved in the military conflict or not” and that Moscow would make “appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us.”
The National Security Council (NSC) told Newsweek Sunday that it had nothing to provide on this report. The Pentagon also declined to comment.
Newsweek also reached out to the State Department by email on Sunday afternoon for comment.
Three sources familiar with the decision told Reuters that the first deep strikes are likely to occur in the coming days, with further details under wraps due to operational security concerns. The Ukrainian forces could use ATACMS rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles, to launch the strikes.
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk told The Financial Times that ATACMS would allow Ukraine to hit “high value targets” and “potentially disrupt Russian operations” due to the “high payload missiles” at its disposal.
“This is, of course, a decision giving Ukraine troops a chance, though as with many previous decisions coming after a significant and extremely painful delay,” Zagorodnyuk said.
North Korea recently sent around 10,000 of its elite troops to Kursk, a Russian region that Ukraine took over this summer when its forces made a major and unexpected push across the border.
The Biden administration fears that more North Korean special forces could deploy and bolster Russia’s forces. Vedant Patel, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, told reporters last week that Washington remains “incredibly concerned” about the Kursk development.
The decision drew immediate backlash as Biden is being accused of escalating the conflict with just months left in office. The President’s detractors highlight that President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to end the conflict.
In an email to Newsweek, Trump’s Communication Director Steven Cheung said: “As President Trump has said on the campaign trail, he is the only person who can bring both sides together in order to negotiate peace, and work towards ending the war and stopping the killing. Only official statements on this matter will come directly from President Trump or his authorized spokespeople.”
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “Libs love war” and “War facilitates bigger government” in response to news of Biden’s decision. Trump-backer Elon Musk retweeted Lee’s post with the message, “True.”
Venture capitalist and co-host of the All-In Podcast David Sacks also posted on X, writing: “President Trump won a clear mandate to end the war in Ukraine. So what does Biden do in his final two months in office? Massively escalate it. Is his goal to hand Trump the worst situation possible?”
Breaking Points podcast co-host Saagar Enjeti chimed in as well, posting on X that “Biden is escalating the war in Ukraine out the door and trying to force Trump to get headlines showing him *reversing* the policy when in office + making it more difficult to pursue a peace deal.”
Trump wasted no time following his Election Day victory and called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin within the first few days. Zelensky recently told Ukrainian outlet Suspilne that Trump’s return makes it “certain that the war will end sooner.”
“This is their approach, their promise to their citizens,” the Ukrainian leader added.
Update: 11/17/24, 4:54 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a comment from former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk.
Update, 11/17/24, 2:23 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
Update, 11/17/24 at 2 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a comment from the Pentagon.
Update, 11/17/24 at 2:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with social media reactions and additional context.
Update, 11/17/24 at 4:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a comment from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Update, 11/17/24 at 4:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a comment from a former Ukrainian defense minister.
Update, 11/17/24 at 8:07 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from the Trump transition team.