M10 days after the start of a war for which Russia is solely responsible, the pressure of events was once again necessary to pull the United States out of its indecision. As in the past, the authorization finally granted by Washington to kyiv on November 17 to strike deep into Russian territory using American ATACMS missiles, with a range of 300 kilometers, was the product of a alarming observation. This is the prospect of a Russian counter-attack aimed at repelling the Ukrainian forces which established a foothold in the Russian region of Kursk during the summer, to use it as a bargaining chip in the event of possible negotiations.
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The Kremlin reacted by accusing Washington of “throw fuel on the fire”. However, the escalation is his sole responsibility, in particular his decision to call for help from a third country, North Korea. This real cobelligerence resulted in the deployment of soldiers from Pyongyang. The uncertainty caused by Donald Trump's scheduled return to the White House also certainly plays a role in Joe Biden's decision. By recklessly promising to put an end to the conflict provoked by Moscow in record time, the elected president paradoxically pushes both camps to throw as many forces as possible into the battle between now and his swearing-in.
On a case by case basis
As in previous debates concerning the supply of weapons such as cannons, light and heavy tanks and fighter planes, kyiv's Western allies lost precious time weighing the pros and cons before lifting the ban. regarding long-range missiles. They were once again torn between awareness of the need to break with the asymmetry, in men and equipment, which weakens kyiv in the face of Moscow, and the fear of the consequences of an increased commitment alongside Ukraine. .
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We can therefore only regret, like the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Olga Stefanishyna, that this announcement comes very late. “If this decision had been taken earlier, it would have saved many lives”she regretted on November 18. The Russian army also anticipated this by repositioning a majority of its bombers on airfields located out of ATACMS range. This American authorization also remains subject to conditions. It will only be lifted on a case-by-case basis, depending on Ukrainian objectives, in a logic that is not really that of a high-intensity war.
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We must now hope that this American announcement will be quickly followed by similar decisions by countries supplying long-range missiles to kyiv. These are France and the United Kingdom. We must also hope that it will help to remove German reluctance about their Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz cannot invite Russia to stand “ready for serious negotiations with Ukraine with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace”as he did during an unfortunate telephone call with the master of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, on November 15, without first strengthening kyiv's hand. The day after this exchange, Russia launched new destructive bombings against Ukrainian civilian energy infrastructure. A cruel reminder of reality.
