Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
Two months before handing power to Donald Trump, President Biden has U-turned on Ukraine’s use of long-range ATACMS rockets against military targets on Russian territory. He now says he’ll allow it.
Six months ago the decision might have been a game changer in a war of attrition in which Russian jets have been launching heavy glide bombs at civilian targets from beyond the range of Ukrainian weapons.
Now the decision has to be seen mainly in light of the US election, to give Kyiv maximum leverage in any ceasefire talks forced on it by Trump; and in light of the deployment of North Korean troops in western Russia, to deter Kim Jong Un from sending more.
The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon is sceptical ATACMS will change much now, since Russia has already pulled most potential targets back out of range.
