Washington has given Kiev permission to bomb Russian territory with long-range missiles supplied to the Ukrainian military from the US, a US official told AFP today.

Thus, US President Joe Biden accepts a long-standing request from Kiev, shortly before his departure from the White House and the return of Donald Trump, who is critical of US aid to Ukraine.

It is noted that France and Britain had already authorized Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro.

The missiles are initially expected to be used in the Russian border region of Kursk, where North Korean soldiers have been deployed to support Russian troops, according to US officials who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity.

The White House declined to comment on the reports.

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Ukraine has repeatedly asked its Western allies for permission to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range missiles. However, many countries, including the US, have so far refused to give this green light, fearing an escalation with Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that such a decision would mean that “NATO countries are at war with Russia.”

Washington’s shift, which comes just over two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20, comes after months of requests by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to allow Ukraine’s military to use US weapons to strike Russian military targets far from the border. 

The first deep strikes are likely to be carried out using ATACMS missiles, which have a range of up to 306 kilometers, the sources said.

The policy change follows Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops to supplement its own forces, a development that has alarmed Washington and Kiev.

While some US officials have expressed skepticism that allowing long-range strikes will change the overall course of the war, the decision could help Ukraine at a time when Russian forces are making gains and possibly put Kiev in a better negotiating position when and if cease-fire talks take place.

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