Joe Biden’s change of stance on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles came in response to North Korea’s involvement in the war, but also because of Donald Trump’s election victory, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Biden has for months resisted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s calls to ease limits on the use of US-supplied ATACM missiles, which can reach deep into Russian territory, for fear of embroiling NATO in a conflict with a nuclear power.

But Moscow’s decision to deploy North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region represented a major escalation that required a response, a senior US official and two other sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The election of Trump — who opposes U.S. support for Ukraine — also prompted the U.S. administration to loosen rules on the use of weapons and take additional steps to bolster Ukraine as it suffers repeated battlefield setbacks. two other sources told Reuters.

The easing of US conditions was conveyed to Ukraine during a call on November 12 between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Reuters writes.

A day later, Foreign Secretary Anthony Blinken briefed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European officials on the decision, as well as his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sibykha, during a trip to Brussels, a senior US official said.

Ukraine carried out its first long-range strike under the new policy on Tuesday, firing US ATACMS missiles at a weapons depot about 110 kilometers inside Russia.

Biden’s easing of restrictions appeared to pave the way for US allies to allow their own weapons to be used as well. On Wednesday, Ukraine fired British Storm Shadow cruise missiles against Russia.

After the election, the Biden administration took other actions to support Kiev, authorizing the use of anti-personnel mines to slow Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine.

Russia’s decision to deploy thousands of North Korean troops to join the fighting changed the government’s thinking.
The US in late October had seen evidence of a possible deployment of North Koreans in the Ukraine conflict.

North Korean soldiers had docked in the eastern port city of Vladivostok after boarding ships in early to mid-October from North Korea’s Wonsan region, and were transferred to three military training sites in eastern Russia, a White House spokesman told reporters. John Kirby.

The following week Blinken said up to 8,000 North Korean forces were in Kursk, where Ukrainian forces have controlled territory since August.

The relaxation of U.S. rules on the use of the missiles was intended to send a message to the North Koreans and Russians that the move was unacceptable, as well as hinder their efforts to push the Ukrainians out of Kursk, a senior U.S. official familiar with the thinking said. of the government.

The official acknowledged that easing the restrictions could trigger a further escalation of the conflict – but noted that Russia has so far not taken action against states outside of Ukraine.

At the same time, a congressional aide said that the new policy applies only to the Kursk region.

“Ukraine is authorized to strike deep into Russian territory only to contain the Russia-North Korea effort to push Ukraine off Russian soil,” the aide said.