Ukraine-Russia
Joe Biden allows Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles inside Russia
President Joe Biden has approved Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles to fire into Russian territory, media reports said.
The US has permitted Ukraine to use the missiles against Russian and North Korean forces in the Kursk region.
The US president will allow Ukraine to use US-made Atacms rockets, which have a range of 190 miles (300km) – a decision being justified by the presence of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, The Guardian reported.
The White House did not comment on the development so far.
However, several major media outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Reuters and the Associated Press, have reported the development citing sources.
Did Ukraine's President confirm the development?
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seems to confirm the development in his X post where he said: "One of its key elements is providing our army with long-range capabilities. There’s been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take relative actions."
I am deeply grateful to all our partners who support us with air defense systems and missiles. This is a truly global effort. Every time Russia carries out such attacks, it underscores how critical it is that partners don’t leave systems like Patriot and others sitting idle in… pic.twitter.com/4VZu4JpzxG
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 17, 2024
"But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves," he said.
Trump and Ukraine-Russia war
Biden permitted Ukraine to use the missile just days after Donald Trump emerged victorious in the US presidential polls.
Recently, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he feels that Russia's ongoing war against his country will 'end sooner' once US President Donald Trump becomes President next year.
"Of course the war will be over sooner with the policy of this team, who will now govern the White House," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying to Suspilne reported Pravda.
"That is their approach, their pledge to their society, and it is very important for them too," he said.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the latest Russian drone and missile attack against the power grid and critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, his Spokesperson said on Sunday.
The large-scale strikes occurred overnight and reportedly caused severe damage, power outages and civilian casualties.
“Attacks on energy infrastructure will only increase the suffering of civilians with the looming winter weather,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a note to journalists.
“Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law. Any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately,” he added.
Tuesday will mark 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, reported that during this time, 12,000 people have been killed and civilian infrastructure has been decimated, with over 2,000 attacks on healthcare facilities and two million homes damaged, while 65 per cent of energy production capacity has been destroyed.
Speaking in Geneva on Friday, he said almost 40 per cent of the population need humanitarian assistance and one of the top concerns is for people living in high-rise buildings who face their third consecutive freezing winter because of “systematic attacks” on energy infrastructure.
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