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Officials confirmed that President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to lift restrictions to allow the use of U.S.-provided long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory. The easing of restrictions would allow Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia. The move also comes as some 10,000 North Korean troops were deployed to the Kursk region of Russia to support Russian troops fighting Ukrainian forces.
U.S. officials had previously resisted the use of the long-range weapons, citing concerns over limited stockpile and the repositioning of Russian assets outside of ATACMS range. Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to use American weapons to strike Russia just over the border back in May; at that time, Ukraine was prohibited from using longer-range weapons to strike deeper into the country.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to limit U.S. support for Ukraine in the hopes of ending their war against Russia. As the U.S. has already provided $175 billion in aid to Ukraine – more than any other country – a withdrawal of support would become a major blow to Ukraine defense against Russian attacks.
In an interview with Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would like to end the war with Russia next year through “diplomatic means.” He added that the war will end “sooner” than it otherwise would have, once Trump becomes president: “It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens.”
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