"New war begins"

ATACMS commitment to Kiev: Trump’s team is furious

ATACMS missiles from the USA: will they change the course of the war in Ukraine?

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Mike Mareen)

In the camp of US President-elect Donald Trump, the green light from the White House for the use of long-range weapons against targets in Russia has sparked outrage. "It's as if President Biden is starting a whole new war," said Richard Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany, in an outrage.

Trump's son Donald Jr. wrote on Platform X: "The military-industrial complex seems to want to make sure that World War III starts before my father has a chance to make peace and save lives."

Other Republicans, such as Congressman Roger Wicker, accused President Joe Biden of delaying the decision for too long. The Republican Party is divided over support for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. In a vote in the House of Representatives in April, 112 Republicans voted against a billion-euro aid package for Ukraine, while 101 voted in favor.

Trump himself has so far held back with eloquent comments. During the election campaign, the 78-year-old had always emphasized that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. In a TV interview, Trump's designated National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spoke of a "step on the escalation ladder". Shortly before the election, he had indicated that a US authorization would increase the pressure to get Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. 

Donald Trump promises to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of his inauguration.

(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Expert: ATACMS "do not necessarily lead to escalation"
US media reported unanimously at the weekend that the outgoing US President Biden is allowing Ukraine to use tactical ATACMS missiles with a range of several hundred kilometers against targets in Russia for the first time. According to military expert Markus Reisner, the use of long-range weapons such as ATACMS "does not necessarily lead to an escalation". The consequences of this "paradigm shift" on the course of the war or a possible negotiating position of Ukraine depend on the range and capabilities of the weapons systems used, says the army colonel.

According to Reisner, reports from the USA indicate that the US ATACMS system is to be deployed in the short-range version with a range of 165 km. A deployment in the Kursk area - including against troop concentrations of Russian and North Korean soldiers in the Russian territory - would mean that the USA would attempt to enable Ukraine to hold on to the occupied Russian territories for as long as possible. "This would improve Ukraine's negotiating position and would not necessarily lead to an escalation - which the USA has always avoided up to now."

Colonel Markus Reisner

(Bild: Bundesheer/Kurt Kreibich)

What could "significantly" increase the pressure on Russia
Reisner emphasizes: "At the moment, there is nothing to suggest that permission has been granted to deploy the long-range ATACMS version with a range of up to 300 km. Only with this capability would it be possible to comprehensively attack Russian ammunition depots and airfields and exert massive pressure on the Russian side." It is also unclear whether the UK and France will follow suit and allow the use of Storm Shadow and Scalp with a range of 560 km with the approval of the USA. "This would significantly increase the pressure on Russia."