Risk of spreading Russia-Ukraine conflict

German newspaper Bild reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to visit the United States in the coming weeks to personally ask President Joe Biden for permission to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range Western weapons.

Ukraine actively campaigned

Zelensky’s visit to the US is aimed at presenting Ukraine’s new strategy, including an offensive plan and proposals for a ceasefire in some areas of the front. President Zelensky is also expected to meet with presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Ukraine has previously given the US and UK a list of targets it intends to strike in Russia with long-range weapons if its armed forces are allowed to do so.

However, the British newspaper The Times reported that President Joe Biden will not allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory until the Ukrainian leader presents a plan for “victory.” According to the newspaper, there are signs that the US President will not publicly approve the use of long-range missiles by the Ukrainian military, but will allow the provision of intelligence data to Kiev.

ATACMS missiles provided by the US to Ukraine

The Sunday Times reported that some former politicians have called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russian territory even without US support. British Prime Minister Starmer and US President Joe Biden met in Washington on September 13 to discuss whether Kiev should be allowed to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia. However, no decision has been announced.

Meanwhile, according to TASS, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz affirmed that he would not allow Ukraine to use German weapons to attack deep inside Russia.

Russia warns

According to TASS, answering reporters, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine could not carry out attacks inside Russian territory without Western support because they needed satellite intelligence data and flight input data to do so.

According to the Russian President, the current debate among Western countries is not only about Kiev's ability to use Western long-range weapons, but also about whether to directly participate in the conflict in Ukraine. Mr. Putin said Moscow will respond to threats directed at Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that “those in Washington, London and elsewhere clearly underestimate the danger of the game they continue to play.”

Sharing the same view, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned on his Telegram channel: Russia will not use nuclear weapons in response to attacks because it understands the danger and irreversibility of such a conflict. Currently, Moscow is showing patience, but everything has its limits.

The US has begun supplying Ukraine with the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of up to 300km and does not allow the use of ATACMS on Russian soil. Another type is the Storm Shadow cruise missile, which has a range of about 250km and is manufactured by the UK and France. The UK supplied Ukraine in May. There are now reports that the UK has allowed Ukraine to use this missile to strike deep into Russian territory.

KHANH MINH compiled

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nguy-co-lan-rong-xung-dot-nga-ukraine-post759109.html