President Joe Biden may have just made the riskiest gamble yet in the years-long Russia-Ukraine war, but President-elect Donald Trump continues to push for a quick end to the conflict.

Ukraine’s military fired a long-range, U.S.-provided missile into Russian territory on Tuesday after recently receiving approval from senior Biden officials, but the White House has refused to publicly confirm whether it gave Kiev the go-ahead. According to to various report. It’s unclear how confident U.S. officials are that the new measures will work in Ukraine’s favor, but they are unlikely to reduce tensions or end the war in the coming months, which President Trump has vowed to achieve by January. It’s unlikely that it will get any easier. (Related: ‘Preparing for Success’: Who Will Be President Trump’s Key Points on National Security)

‘Understanding is essential’ Elbridge Colby, former senior Pentagon official said On Monday, he said the Biden administration was “leaving a terrible situation unaddressed.” [for Trump]”

Until this weekend, Biden and his administration had refused to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia, which would escalate the war, prompt Russia’s erratic response, and threaten Ukraine. The reason was that there was a risk that it would not be able to provide a concrete strategic advantage. The situation changed over the weekend with reports that US authorities had given Kiev permission to begin using the US Surface-to-Surface Army Tactical Missile System (ATACM) in such attacks. This is clearly due, at least in part, to Russia’s decision to deploy North Korean soldiers. along the front lines of the war.

he is refused Confirming the details on record, National Security Adviser John Finer told reporters Sunday that Russia was “adding fuel to the fire” of the war and that conditions on the battlefield were He said it could “evolve and change.”

some defense and foreign affairs expert They were in trouble, given the Biden administration’s previous reluctance to make such a move and the obvious risk escalator.

“There is no benefit from a U.S. national security perspective. An escalation of proxy attacks inside Russia will only increase the risks with Russia and will make it more difficult to de-escalate the war,” the writer wrote. says Max Abrahams, professor of international security at said on monday.

Biden’s move is almost certain to draw the United States further into the ongoing conflict. The Biden administration has already sent tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, and most recently, U.S. defense contractors will travel to the region to support various weapons for the Ukrainian military. This was the first time this had happened since the start of the war.

Russia has similarly become increasingly hostile over the past two years, committing whatever resources it can to the war, even at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. After months of threats against continued U.S. involvement, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday updated the country’s nuclear doctrine, essentially lowering the standards for the conditions under which nuclear weapons can be used. (Related article: Iran reportedly told the US it would not seek to kill President Trump)

Members of the Dnipro 1 unit of the Joint Assault Brigade Luty of the Ukrainian National Police operate a Soviet-era D-30 howitzer near Tretsk, Ukraine, on November 9, 2024. (Photo by Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

Asked Tuesday if Russia could respond to a long-range missile attack with nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said if conventional weapons pose a “grave threat to Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Russia would respond accordingly. “We reserve the right” to respond accordingly. ,” According to In the New York Times. President Putin himself has not directly addressed this issue.

The White House on Tuesday downplayed Moscow’s actions, telling the Daily Caller News Foundation that it was “not surprised” given Russia’s new nuclear theory was announced two months ago.

“Given that Russia’s nuclear posture has not changed, we see no reason to adjust our own nuclear posture or doctrine in response to today’s Russian statement,” the White House national security spokesperson told DCNF. “This is the same irresponsible rhetoric we’ve seen from Russia over the past two years.”

Mr. Biden’s increasingly hawkish approach to the Russia-Ukraine war appears in stark contrast to Mr. Trump’s plans to end the conflict. The Biden administration has not specified a desired date for ending the war, but President Trump has promised to end the war by the time he takes office in January, given his ability to make deals and his relationship with Putin and both Ukraine. did. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his ability to bring both sides to the negotiating table.

Ukrainians also appear increasingly wary of the conflict continuing. Some 52% of Ukrainians surveyed want Kiev to negotiate a peace deal with Moscow as soon as possible, rather than continue fighting, according to Gallup. public opinion poll It was released on Tuesday.

Revelations that Biden allowed Ukraine to use the ATACM system angry Some of Mr. Trump’s allies warned this week that the war would only drag on longer and pose new risks to the United States.

Former Trump administration director of national intelligence Richard Grenell: “No one expected Joe Biden to escalate the war in Ukraine during the transition period.” said on sunday. “It’s as if he’s starting a whole new war. Now everything has changed. All previous calculations are invalidated. And it’s all because of politics.”

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