This marks a major strategic U-turn just a few weeks before Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20, 2025.
The American decision, made in reaction to the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the conflict, is considered both too late and too restrictive. More political than military, it could help slow the Russians' advance, without changing the balance of power on the ground, Le Monde reported.
On November 18, Moscow denounced the decision as "reckless" and "dangerous" and accused the Biden administration of adding "fuel to the fire." The chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, threatened to use new weapons systems against Ukraine if it were to attack its territory with American long-range missiles. Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) are both accurate and powerful and can reach a target up to 300 kilometers away.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chose this moment to sign a decree officializing his announcement from the end of September, changing the country's nuclear doctrine. The new doctrine allows the use of nuclear weapons in the event of a "massive launch" of air strikes against Russia, and in the event of an attack by a non-nuclear country backed by a nuclear-armed power, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday morning.
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