Biden lifts ban on Ukraine using long-range US missiles inside Russia

US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to strike Russian territory with US-supplied long-range missiles, a US official told AFP on Sunday. Biden's decision comes as he prepares to hand over power to President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to limit US aid to Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range American missiles against military targets inside Russia, a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity, confirming media reports.

The New York Times and The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, said that the major policy shift long demanded by Ukraine was in response to North Korea deploying troops to help Moscow's war effort.

The US official who spoke to AFP confirmed the reports as accurate.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently pushed for authorisation from Washington to use the powerful Army Tactical Missile System, known by its initials as ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia.

The American shift is likely to have wider repercussions and lead European allies to review their stances.

(AFP)


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