Moscow rages:

“Bloody Joe” wants to “pour oil on the fire”

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had already warned in mid-September that agreeing to attacks with Western weapons on targets in Russia would mean "the direct involvement of NATO states, the USA and European countries in the war in Ukraine".

(Bild: APA/AP)

With the lifting of restrictions on longer-range US missiles in the possession of the Ukrainian army, the Russian leadership is now warning of a "fundamentally new situation" in the war in Ukraine. Several members of parliament warned on Monday that this could risk the outbreak of a third world war. US President Biden had decided to leave office as a "bloody Joe" and thus go down in history, said one politician.

Biden is not only making it more difficult for his designated successor Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine, but also to prevent a global confrontation. This also confirms once again that the USA is directly involved in the war in Ukraine, said Leonid Sluzki from the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. 

Kremlin: "Outgoing government wants to pour oil on the fire"
"US missile strikes deep in Russian territories will inevitably lead to a major escalation that threatens to have far more serious consequences," said the chairman of the State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee in an interview with the Moscow state news agency TASS. Should the information be confirmed, Sluzki said, Russia would react in the strongest possible terms.

The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, had referred to earlier statements by ruler Vladimir Putin on the possible release of the weapons. He had also repeatedly warned of a new escalation in the war should this happen. If the decision is officially confirmed in Washington, it would lead to a "fundamentally new situation in terms of US involvement in this conflict", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Monday. It was "obvious" that the outgoing US administration wanted to "add fuel to the fire".

A Russian soldier observes the movements of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk border region from a bunker.

(Bild: APA/AP)

Probably a reaction to North Korean aid in Kursk
Specifically, it is about the use of so-called ATACMS guided weapons (see graphic below) against targets on Russian territory. According to reports, however, this is initially against Russian troops in the Russian region of Kursk, where the Ukrainian army has been able to establish itself since the summer and is now to be repelled with the help of North Korean assistance.

In mid-September, Putin warned that Western approval of such a move would mean "the direct involvement of NATO countries, the USA and European countries in the war in Ukraine", as NATO military infrastructure and personnel would have to be involved in the targeting and firing of the missiles. At the end of October, Putin said that the Russian Ministry of Defense was preparing for several possible responses. 

Demand: EU states should now follow suit
At the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday, numerous participants in addition to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell supported the permission given by US President Biden at the weekend, according to reports. Borrell appealed to the EU member states to allow Ukraine to use European weapons for attacks inside Russia before what is likely to be his last Council meeting. Borrell also called for faster support for Ukraine. The Spaniard now expects a further discussion on the use of weapons in Ukraine and he hopes "that the member states will agree".