Russia says the use of US long-range missiles by Ukraine will provoke “an appropriate and tangible” reaction. That would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia, the statement added, citing a June incident when reportedly US-supplied HIMARS rockets were used in a military operation near Russia.

Biden’s Approval Marks a Turning Point in the war

President Joe Biden approved the use of the missiles on targets in Russia in a significant change of US policy – two months before he was due to leave the White House. It is unclear if his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, was consulted or whether he will stick by the decision, having promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukraine already possessed US ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) with a 300 km (190-mile) range—as well as French and British Storm Shadow missiles of a comparable range—but the Western allies had forbidden Kyiv from using those to strike inside Russia. Biden’s decision to remove that prohibition is a major turning point in the conflict, which will reach its 1,000th day on Tuesday.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Moscow has stepped up assaults on Ukraine’s infrastructure as the two forces seem to reach a stalemate on the battlefields.

North Korea’s Military Support to Russia Escalates

The US move also comes as over 10,000 North Korean soldiers join forces with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as reinforcements in the western Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have captured and are holding onto a small part of the land.

Unconfirmed reports have emerged that Pyongyang could deploy up to 100,000 troops in addition to artillery and other arms to its ally. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted that a formal announcement about the US deal may not happen – “the missiles will speak for themselves,” he said on Sunday.

Ukraine may use the ATACMS in Kursk first—indeed, some reports suggest the US may have restricted their use there as a signal to North Korea to stop sending aid to Russia and Moscow itself. Biden’s approval of the long-range missiles—which may be followed by similar authorizations by the UK and France—is being seen in the West as a way of signaling to the Russian leader that he cannot win the Ukraine war militarily.

More:Massive Drone Strikes Shake Moscow: Ukraine Targets Capital, Russia Responds with Record Drone Assaults

Global Reactions to US Missile Authorization

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the move by Biden as a “totally good” step.

US authorisation may now allow France and the UK to give Ukraine permission to use Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia. Storm Shadow is a Franco-British long-range cruise missile similar to the ATACMS. Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir have yet to comment publicly on whether they will allow Kyiv to use its missiles in the same way.

Meanwhile, Chinese state media reported that President Xi Jinping urged world leaders to “cool the Ukraine crisis” and seek a political solution.

China has emerged as an essential friend in Russia’s bid to counterbalance the negative consequences of the US and European sanctions imposed over the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has dismissed multiple instances of allegations that it is providing Moscow with weapons.