Biden adds ‘fuel to the fire’, Kremlin says – as Ukraine allowed US missiles to be fired at Russia | World news

On November 19, 2024By Pranco

The Kremlin has criticized President Joe Biden for adding “fuel to the fire” after allowing Ukraine to launch US missiles at Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “It is clear that the outgoing administration in Washington intends… to continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking a further escalation of tensions around this conflict.”

RussiaThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that the action will continue Mr. Biden‘s government would fundamentally change the nature of the war and provoke an “adequate and tangible” response.

Britain has declined to reveal whether it plans to follow suit, for example by expanding the use of products supplied by Britain Storm Shadow missiles Through Ukraine to hit targets in Russia.

Follow the latest: Live updates about the war in Ukraine

The British Minister of Defence John Healey told the House of Commons that his comments would “jeopardize operations and security,” adding that he will speak to the U.S. and Ukrainian defense secretaries on Monday evening.

At the G20 summit in Brazil, Sir Keir Starmer gave a similar response: “I’m not going to go into operational details because the only winner, if we did, is (Vladimir) PutinAnd I’m not willing to do that.”

For more than a year, Ukraine has been calling on America to change its policy on the use of long-range missiles.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has given a muted response to Mr Biden’s decision to expand the use of US products Army tactical missile system (ATACMS).

“Attacks are not made with words… the missiles will speak for themselves,” he said.

Biden threatens to unleash ‘World War III’

The US has relaxed restrictions on the use of ATACMS, which has a range of up to 300 kilometers. Russia began deploying North Korean ground troops to supplement his own forces in the conflict.

Donald Trump Jr, the son of the president-elect Donald Trump, suggested in a post on

Hungary: policy is ‘astonishingly dangerous’

There has been a strong but mixed reaction across Europe to the US policy change.

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the decision was “stunningly dangerous” even though the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has a close and often sympathetic relationship with Moscow.

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Slovak leader Robert Fico, who has also promoted a stronger relationship with his Russian counterpart, said it was an “unprecedented escalation of tensions” and “a decision that thwarts hopes of starting peace talks.”

But other countries are more positive.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said: “This decision was very necessary… Russia sees that Ukraine enjoys strong support and that the position of the West is unyielding and determined.”

Meanwhile, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna was also positive. He said easing restrictions for Ukraine was “a good thing,” adding: “We have said that from the beginning – that there should be no restrictions on military aid (for Ukraine).”

How might Russia respond?

In the past, the Russian president has said he has sent weapons to the West’s adversaries to attack Western targets abroad. He did not mention any specific countries, but the assumption was that it was a reference to Iran.

Moscow also recently changed its nuclear doctrine so that it could theoretically respond with nuclear weapons if the West attacks targets on Russian territory.

Are these threats real? Or is it more sabre-rattling?

The calculation in Washington seems to be that this is another bluff from Moscow, after erasing previous red lines without consequences.

The West has supplied missiles, battle tanks and fighter jets to Kiev, all without invoking the threat of escalation.

But could Russia respond in other, more subtle ways that it doesn’t want to broadcast? Think of sabotage, cyber attacks, closer coordination with Iran (and of course North Korea).

In that sense, it is not the Kremlin’s public anger that will worry the West, but what is happening behind the scenes.

Missiles are ‘not a game changer’

The former British ambassador to Russia, Sir Toby Brenton, told Sky News: “No one really expects this to be a game changer.

“They expect this to make life harder for the Russians and slow down the Russian advance, but… from all the stories I hear, there aren’t actually that many of these missiles available to use.”

On Monday, a Russian ballistic missile carrying cluster munitions killed 11 people in a residential area of Sumy in northern Ukraine.

Another barrage of rockets sparked apartment fires in the southern port of Odesa, killing at least 10 people, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said.

Meanwhile, Tuesday marks 1,000 days since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022.