(Kyiv) – US President Joe Biden’s recent decision to authorize Ukraine to use American-made long-range missiles against Russian territory is seen as a significant moment in the ongoing conflict, according to Nicholas Williams, a former senior NATO official. Speaking to Sky News, Williams explained that this decision could have a major impact on the war’s trajectory and the potential for peace negotiations in the future.
For months, Ukraine has been pleading for the ability to strike deep into Russian-held territory, especially in light of repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Donetsk and Kharkiv. However, Western nations, including the US, had held back, concerned that such moves would escalate the conflict further, potentially drawing NATO into a more direct confrontation with Russia.
On November 17, this position changed when US officials announced that President Biden had lifted the restrictions, allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles, including the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), to strike targets deep within Russia. This move could have significant implications, Williams noted, particularly in terms of shaping the war’s endgame.
The former NATO official acknowledged that Ukraine might view the decision as too little, too late, but emphasized that it was not too late to influence the final stages of the conflict. “It is significant. The Ukrainians may say it’s too little too late, but it’s not too late to affect the end game,” Williams said.
He further pointed out that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which showed little indication that Russia was willing to make any compromises for peace, likely influenced the decision to approve the missile strikes. According to Williams, the German leader’s inability to extract meaningful concessions from Putin reinforced the idea that the West needed to provide Ukraine with the necessary tools to continue resisting Russia’s aggression.
The focus of the Ukrainian strikes, Williams noted, would be on military targets in Russia, particularly those that could impact the ongoing battles and Ukraine’s borders. The US lifting restrictions on the use of ATACMS missiles follows a similar move by France and Germany, who also allowed Ukraine to use Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles deep into Russian territory. However, it was clarified that France and Germany had already given Ukraine permission to use these missiles in earlier stages of the war.
One immediate effect of Biden’s decision is that Ukraine will now be able to target Russian and even North Korean military assets in the Kursk Oblast, a key region for Russia’s defense infrastructure. In response, Russian officials have condemned the decision, with the Federation Council accusing NATO of becoming directly involved in the war. Russia has warned that such moves could bring the world closer to World War III.
Despite the escalation, experts suggest that this move is a strategic one aimed at further weakening Russia’s military capabilities and potentially forcing them to the negotiating table. Ukraine’s decision to target only military objectives is seen as a means to maintain the moral high ground while continuing to push back Russian forces.