Has Biden ‘done Trump a solid’ after approving long-range weapons use for Ukraine?
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Donald Trump may be firmly against providing Ukraine more military aid to fight Russia, but could Joe Biden’s latest move actually do him a favour?
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In brief…
- The US has approved Ukraine’s use of its long-range weapons for strikes on North Korean troops deep inside Russia.
- It comes amid speculation that peace negotiations could soon begin after more than 1000 days of war.
- Mark Urban, a columnist at The Sunday Times, says Biden may have done Donald Trump “a solid” going into negotiations.
Estonia's Foreign Minister says they are prepared for a “probable” Russian invasion
What’s the story?
Joe Biden has agreed to authorise Ukraine’s use of the US’ long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
The move marks a significant shift in US policy just weeks before Donald Trump replaces Biden in the White House.
Ukraine had long been calling for Kyiv to approve the use of the US’ long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
It comes after Biden spent months mulling over the decision. Trump, meanwhile, has vowed to stop sending military aid to Ukraine when he becomes president.
Instead, Trump has suggested he would be able to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia within a day.
So could this latest move affect how those negotiations unfold?
Why now?
The long-range American weapons are set to be used on Russian and North Korean troops fighting Ukrainians in Russia’s Kursk region.
Around 10,000 North Korean soldiers were recently deployed to assist the Russians as they scramble to take back control of the area.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Biden is attempting to rush through billions of dollars’ of military aid in the final weeks before Trump enters the White House.
“The administration plans to push forward… to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible”, a senior administration official told Retuers.
Biden’s administration had already provided billions’ of dollars worth of military assistance to Ukraine over the course of the Russian invasion, in April approving a $61 billion military aid package.
Trump has been a frequent critic of the level of US funding for the country, arguing he would stop arming Ukraine and instead end the war in a day by brokering a peace deal.
How have Biden’s critics responded?
Team Trump was quick to criticise Biden’s latest intervention.
Donald Trump Jr posted on X: “The military industrial complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives”.
Staunch Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote: "On his way out of office, Joe Biden is dangerously trying to start WWIII by authorising Ukraine the use of U.S. long range missiles into Russia.
“The American people gave a mandate on Nov 5th against these exact America last decisions and do NOT want to fund or fight foreign wars. We want to fix our own problems. Enough of this, it must stop."
The Kremlin, perhaps expectedly, has hit out the move too.
Russian lawmaker Maria Butina said: “These guys, Biden’s administration, are trying to escalate the situation to the maximum while they still have power and are still in office.
“I have a great hope that Trump will overcome this decision if this has been made because they are seriously risking the start of world war three, which is not in anybody’s interest.”
How significant is this step?
Mark Urban, a columnist for The Sunday Times specialising in foreign affairs, says the most interesting aspect about this move is the small print.
He tells The News Agents the ATACMS are specifically for use on North Korean troops in Kursk, rather than for use against Russians in Ukraine.
This, Urban says, is a sign that the US disapproves of Russia and North Korea’s closer ties.
But it also comes amid signals Ukraine and Russia may soon begin negotiations to end the war.
Urban says: “It's evidence of the way now that everything is in play, and everything is now [seen] through the prism of some negotiation that will start soon, and who is trying to achieve relative military advantage.
“If Putin tries to use the North Koreans and various other things to gain more of an advantage going into talks to put Zelenskyy in an even worse position, then the Americans want to nullify that.”
But is this what Trump would have wanted?
While he is staunchly against providing Ukraine with more military aid, Urban argues that Biden may have done him a favour.
He tells Emily and Jon: “Trump knows that he can't just give, give, give to Putin. If he prides himself on the art of the deal, looking like you're desperate is never going to secure you a good deal.
“So in that sense, Biden may have done him a solid as he's upped the ante a little bit so that Trump has got more to play with.”
Listen in full on The News Agents.
