US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use longer-range US weapons against targets on Russian territory, various US media reports. The relevant restrictions have been lifted, according to sources close to the government. The government in Kiev wants to carry out the first such attack in the coming days. No details were given.
Calum MacKenzie
Russia correspondent
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Calum MacKenzie is Radio SRF’s Russia correspondent. He studied Eastern European studies in Bern, Zurich and Moscow.
How did the Kremlin react to the US announcement?
We have not yet had any reaction from the Kremlin, but the Russian state media portrayed this step as a direct entry into the war by the USA and NATO. But it has to be said that this is nothing new. It has been a constant argument on Russian state television for two years or more.
What might a possible military response from Russia look like?
That is unclear. However, I think it is unlikely that Russia will now follow its words with deeds, i.e. that it will now view NATO countries as participants in the war and attack them. That would be a big risk for the Kremlin, and Putin is actually not much of a risk-taker. Many of Russia’s alleged red lines have already been crossed in this war without such consequences – such as the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine or the Ukrainian attack on Kursk. Putin is more likely to escalate if he doesn’t fear any risks. The discussion about these long-range missiles for Ukraine had dragged on for months. It didn’t look like that was coming. During this time, Russia apparently involved North Korean soldiers in the war and carried out a huge attack on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure yesterday.
These missiles should only be used in the Kursk region. What significance does the occupation of Kursk have for Russia?
Large parts of the Kursk region have been under Ukrainian control for months, and so far the Kremlin has not prioritized recapture and has instead focused on the battle of attrition in eastern Ukraine. That is now changing, Russian troops have made small gains in ground in Kursk in recent weeks and, according to Ukrainian information, the Russian army is said to have relocated 50,000 troops there, including probably 10,000 soldiers from North Korea. I think Putin wants to retake Kursk before Donald Trump takes over as president in the US and possibly negotiations for a ceasefire begin. Putin doesn’t want to have to compromise to get back Russian territory in Kursk. He would rather take it back with military force.
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