Kremlin Accuses US of Escalating Ukraine War with Long-Range Missile Approval
The Kremlin has accused the United States of directly escalating the conflict in Ukraine by authorizing Kyiv to use long-range ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington to strike targets deep within Russian territory, Al Jazeera reports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared on Monday that allowing Ukraine to deploy the missiles, which have a range of 300km (186 miles), constitutes a “qualitatively new round of tension” and represents a significant escalation of US involvement in the war. He reiterated President Vladimir Putin’s September warning that such a move would signify direct NATO involvement.
Reports in The New York Times and Reuters on Sunday, citing unnamed US officials, indicated that President Joe Biden had approved Ukraine’s request to use the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) against Russian military installations, including airfields. This authorization places an estimated 245 military and paramilitary targets within striking distance, according to the reports.
Peskov framed the decision as a deliberate attempt by the Biden administration to further inflame the conflict.
“It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps to continue adding fuel to the fire and continue to provoke tension around this conflict,” he said.
Putin previously warned in September that Western approval for the use of such missiles would constitute direct involvement in the war, necessitating the participation of NATO military infrastructure and personnel in targeting and launching operations.
