Biden slammed for giving Ukraine green light to use long-range missiles

Joe Biden has been accused of starting “World War Three” after the outgoing president made a very controversial move.

Joe Biden has been accused of trying to start “World War 3” after allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia.

The controversial decision means Ukraine could now strike targets deep within Russia with

Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles (306 km).

The Kremlin have condemned the decision which it called an “escalation of tensions”.

Donald Trump Jr accused Biden of trying to start World War 3.

He wrote on X: “The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives.”

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the war in Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 26, 2024. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

An Army Tactical Missile being fired from an M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System. Credit: Alamy

Tech millionaire David Sacks - a major donor in Mr Trump’s campaign - claims allowing Ukraine to use the missile to blast targets in Russia will “massively escalate” the situation.

He said: “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?”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had seen media reports that Biden cleared strikes, adding: “It’s obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps in order to continue fuelling the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions”.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post that the major policy shift - long demanded by Ukraine - was in response to North Korea deploying troops to help Moscow’s war effort.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long pushed for authorisation from Washington to use ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia.

Putin has said that approving use of the missiles would put NATO “at war” with Russia. (Photo by Vyacheslav PROKOFYEV / POOL / AFP)

“If such a decision was really formulated and announced to the Kyiv regime, then of course it’s a qualitatively new spiral of tensions and a qualitatively new situation from the point of view of the US’s engagement in the conflict,” Peskov told journalists.

He said President Vladimir Putin had expressed Russia’s position clearly in September when the leader said that such a move would put NATO “at war” with Russia.

In such a case, “we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face,” Putin said in September.

Peskov said on Monday that Putin’s position is that such strikes would ultimately be carried out not by Ukraine but by the countries that give permission for such use of missiles.

The Kremlin spokesman said this was because “the targets are set not by Ukrainian military but by specialists from these Western countries. That fundamentally changes the modality of their engagement.”

“That’s the danger and provocative nature of this situation,” he added.

Mr Biden’s desicion came shortly after Mr Putin launched “one of the largest” air attacks of Ukraine war so far with 120 missiles and 90 drones.

The first long-range attacks could be launched within the coming days, insiders have said.

France and the UK also last night gave Ukraine the go-ahead to carry out deep strikes into Russian territory using their SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, according to French newspaper Le Figaro.

The move will heap pressure on Germany to drop its opposition to supplying Kyiv with its long-range Taurus missiles.

- With The Sun.

Originally published as Biden slammed for giving Ukraine green light to use long-range missiles