WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden’s administration will allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, three sources familiar with the matter said, in a significant change to Washington’s policy in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, the sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns.

The move by the United States two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20 follows months of requests by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to allow Ukraine’s military to use U.S. weapons to hit Russian military targets far from its border.

The change follows Russia’s deployment of North Korean ground troops to supplement its own forces, a development that has caused alarm in Washington and Kyiv.

The first deep strikes are likely to be carried out using ATACMS rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles (306 km), according to the sources.

    • ouch@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      Bad news mate. WW3 already started a while ago. The world is essentially in a proxy war against Russia.

      • DictatrshipOfTheseus@lemmy.ml
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        6 hours ago

        If you include the global south (which obviously you should), most of the world sides with Russia. I’d agree with you that unless things really take a turn towards deescalation, which is laughably unlikely, history will look back at this time as WWIII having already begun. But it’s a lot more complicated than just a proxy war against Russia. It’s a proxy war the Western Imperialists via NATO but under the hegemonic control of the US in particular, is waging against the rising challengers of that hegemony. And primary among those is China, which is why we have the constant and unrelenting sinophobia and anti-China propaganda. It’s just that Russia has just been the first and boldest to actually use military force against the encroachment of western imperialist ambitions, but Iran is being forced into taking action now too. Also Hezbollah and Anserallah of course, but I mean among those that are fully recognized as state actors.

        But no, if this does shape up to truly be WWIII, then the line is not between Russia and the world. The lines are between Western Imperialists and Multipolarists.

  • pelikan@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    8 hours ago

    The craziest thing of our time is that right-wing bigots claim to end the war fast with peace talks, while so-called “progressives” are going to prolong their proxy war as long as there is at least one Ukrainian still alive.

    • caboose2006@lemmy.ca
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      7 hours ago

      End the war fast by giving up land, and the people on that land. If you know anything about history Ukrainians under Russian rule is a completely unacceptable outcome to anyone but complete psychopaths.

      • isa41@lemm.ee
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        6 hours ago

        Spoken like someone who clearly has zero knowledge of actual history. Especially considering a large part of the reason why the coup government in Ukraine began their campaign of ethnically cleansing the eastern population of their own country was because the people living there more strongly identified with Russia, wanted to be able to keep speaking Russian without persecution, and eventually pleaded with Russia to intervene on their behalf, which Russia fortunately did. But anyone who actually understands the history of the region is a “psychopath.” lol

        • ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org
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          4 hours ago

          the people living there more strongly identified with Russia, wanted to be able to keep speaking Russian without persecution, and eventually pleaded with Russia to intervene on their behalf, which Russia fortunately did

          this is the first time I hear this story. the previous story was “cleaning out nazis” or something like that. it seems goalposts have grown wheels

  • freagle@lemmygrad.ml
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    10 hours ago

    Well, at least we know where the Democrats’ priorities are.

    Foreign policy: Escalation of global war.
    Domestic policy: thoughts and prayers

  • BurgerPunk [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    8 hours ago

    I’ve said this before on this issue, but why is Biden still president and allowed to make these descions? The world finally forced to realize that his brain is pudding but they just let him stay president and make descions that could lead to war with the Russian Federation. Its completely depraved

  • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.ml
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    10 hours ago

    If this is true, this is an act of absolute insanity on the part of Biden admin. This would be an act of war from Russian perspective. Russians repeatedly stated that these weapons can only be operated by NATO personnel, and the use of these weapons would mean direct attack by NATO on Russia. Furthermore, since tomahawks can carry a nuclear pay load, the launches of these missiles will be viewed as a nuclear attack. Russians aren’t gonna wait and see whether a nuclear capable missile actually had a nuke payload or not before they respond.

    • caboose2006@lemmy.ca
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      7 hours ago

      Oh please. We’ve crossed every red line Putin has and nothing has happened. Nothing will happen here, “Russians said”, give me a break.

      • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.ml
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        7 hours ago

        The only previous red line Russia actually outlined was Ukraine joining NATO, and when that line was crossed the war started. All these other “red lines” were made up by western propagandists and don’t actually come from Russia.

      • LukácsFan1917@lemmy.ml
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        7 hours ago

        I wonder how long it will take you to regret this after the electrical infrastructure attacks and foreign military involvement/weapons trading from Russia escalate again.

    • granolabar@kbin.melroy.org
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      9 hours ago

      Furthermore, since tomahawks can carry a nuclear pay load, the launches of these missiles will be viewed as a nuclear attack.

      What are you talking about? When did US delicer tomahawks?

      At least get your facts straight lol

      • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.ml
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        9 hours ago

        Tomahawks was the ones discussed recently, however ATACMS can also carry nukes. So, not sure what facts you think aren’t straight lol.

  • davel [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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    11 hours ago

    three sources familiar with the matter

    Anonymous sources. On the one hand, this is weak tea, but on the other, I wouldn’t put it past the Biden administration at all.

    • geneva_convenience@lemmy.mlOP
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      10 hours ago

      Reuters and NYT are reporting it. Those outlets get their talking points straight from the white house. There is little reason to doubt this.

    • FreudianCafe@lemmy.ml
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      10 hours ago

      Things were going way too quietly since the election. This is probably the first step towards starting the major conflict

  • badelf@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    7 hours ago

    It’s only for four months. Putin doesn’t mind how many Russians will die until Trump gets in and tells Ukraine to surrender his buddy.

    • LukácsFan1917@lemmy.ml
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      7 minutes ago

      If Putin doesn’t care how many Ukrainians die, why is he even averse to hitting their rail lines and electrical infrastructure? They clearly save these attacks for retaliation when negotiations fall through yet again and the bellicose US statements get out of hand yet again.

      The whole mystification of Iran and Russia’s clear strategy of “fuck off so we can stabilize and develop” that inevitably results in risks to our own stability is too funny. Western orientalism is strong in 2024 as it was in 2001.

      Russia doesn’t benefit from destabilized hostile states on its border. What about that is so hard for liberals to understand?

  • vfreire85@lemmy.ml
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    8 hours ago

    they didn’t worked within ukraine, what makes them believe they’re gonna work within russia.

    • geneva_convenience@lemmy.mlOP
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      7 hours ago

      One interesting explanation from Mohammed Mirandi was the establishment wants to escalate as much as possible to prevent Russia from accepting de escalation when Trump comes to power without major concessions from Ukraine.

    • LukácsFan1917@lemmy.ml
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      7 hours ago

      Let’s see how you feel about this when, like after the Kerch bridge bombing, Russia resumes attacking electrical infrastructure. You had a little grace period there you know. Well, you don’t know anything actually.

    • LukácsFan1917@lemmy.ml
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      7 hours ago

      Actually, leading with the electrical attacks is the wrong way to remind you how insane you are, since no amount of damage to Ukraine will cause you to flinch. You seem like the type who would only flinch at a strategic nuclear exchange. You probably haven’t noticed that Russia has promised to apply more pressure in the Middle East/West Asia region against US forces. You cannot just take potshots at them from a safe distance, US forces are deployed in a global occupation!