The US president-elect, Donald Trump, has criticized the Biden administration for giving permission to Ukraine to carry out attacks deep inside Russia with powerful US missiles, saying that this only escalates the war.
"I do not agree at all with sending missiles, hundreds of missiles to Russia. Why are we doing this? We are only escalating this war and making it worse. This should not have been allowed to happen," Trump said during an interview with Time magazine that was published Thursday.
After more than a year of reluctance, President Joe Biden's administration finally decided in November to give Ukraine permission to launch attacks on military assets inside Russia using US-made Military Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).
These powerful and precise missiles can hit the target no less than 300 kilometers away.
The Biden administration justified the decision by saying that Russia has escalated the conflict by sending about 11,000 North Korean soldiers to the front line.
Just days after Ukraine first used ATACMS missiles against Russia, the Kremlin retaliated by striking Ukraine with a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The Kremlin stated that the use of this missile was a message to the West.
Trump has not indicated whether he will unilaterally rescind the decision to allow Ukraine to use these missiles inside Russian territory after taking office on January 20, or whether he will use it as a tool to negotiate with the Kremlin.
He has said he could end the nearly three-year war between Russia and Ukraine within "24 hours," which has raised concerns that he could force Kiev to hand over territory currently occupied by Russian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded that Western commitments to his country's security become part of any negotiated deal. Zelensky – and most Ukrainians – want NATO membership because they say that alone will prevent Russia from invading their country again in the future.
Trump was not asked about Ukraine's NATO membership, but has criticized the US-led military organization in the past, saying it is a burden on US finances. The United States accounts for about 60 percent of NATO's military spending.
In a speech on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Europeans to pressure their governments to increase defense spending.
"Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation. With Ukraine, and with us," he added. REL. (A2 Televizion)
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