WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use American-made weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory, according to two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the matter. This decision, confirmed on Sunday, marks a critical escalation in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukraine is reportedly planning its first long-range attacks in the coming days, though operational details remain classified. This development comes just two months before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 and after months of appeals from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to expand the scope of Ukraine’s military capabilities using U.S. weapons.
The policy change is largely seen as a response to Russia’s deployment of North Korean ground troops to bolster its forces in the region, a move that has raised alarms in both Washington and Kyiv.
Zelenskyy, in his evening address, hinted at the impending actions without giving specifics. “Today, many in the media are saying that we have received permission to take appropriate actions. But strikes are not made with words. Such things are not announced,” he said, adding that the missiles would “speak for themselves.”
The White House and the U.S. State Department have declined to comment on the decision. The Kremlin has not issued an immediate response, though it has previously warned that allowing Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons for strikes on Russian territory would be viewed as a major escalation.
Russian officials have expressed strong reactions to the decision. Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of Russia’s Federation Council International Affairs Committee, warned of dire consequences, stating that the policy shift could lead to “World War Three.” Another senior official, Andrei Klishas, wrote on Telegram that the West’s escalation could result in “the Ukrainian statehood in complete ruins by morning.”
Ukraine’s initial strikes are expected to involve ATACMS rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles (306 kilometers). Some U.S. officials are skeptical about the long-term impact of the decision, but others believe it could enhance Ukraine’s negotiating position should peace talks resume.
Criticism and praise for the policy reversal have emerged within U.S. political circles. Republican Representative Mike Turner, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, described the move as overdue. “This first step will put pressure on Vladimir Putin as President-elect Trump returns to the White House and works to end this war,” Turner said.
Meanwhile, questions remain about whether Trump will reverse the decision upon taking office. Trump has long criticized the scale of U.S. military aid to Ukraine and pledged to end the war quickly, though specifics of his approach are unclear. Richard Grenell, one of Trump’s close foreign policy advisers, criticized the decision on social media, stating, “Escalating the wars before he leaves office.”
International allies have also responded to the development. Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called the move a direct response to North Korea’s involvement in the war and Russia’s escalating missile strikes. “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 said.
With the conflict now poised for further escalation, this decision by the Biden administration underscores the increasingly complex dynamics shaping the Ukraine-Russia war and the broader geopolitical landscape.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
