On Sunday 17 November, U.S. President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use U.S. long-range missiles to strike inside Russian territory. Washington previously spent months denying Ukraine’s requests for such strikes. Biden’s approval opens the door for France and Britain to approve the use of their own missiles inside Russia’s borders.

Serhiy Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre, responded positively to Biden’s announcement, telling the BBC that the use of U.S. long-range missiles “is not something that will change the course of the war, but I think it will make our forces more equal.”

Russia declared the use of U.S. long-range missiles in their territory would be met with an “appropriate and tangible” response. Putin approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine and warned Western powers that the use of these missiles would entail significant military action from N.A.T.O. in the war.

On Monday, Ukraine launched its first attack within Russia, targeting the Bryansk region along Ukraine’s northern border. Russia took the attack as an unwelcome escalation. “We will be taking this [attack] as a renewed face of the Western war against Russia and we will react accordingly,” declared Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

The Biden administration’s decision to approve the use of long-range missiles is the most significant escalation in the conflict to date, especially in light of Putin’s constant warnings against the use of long-range missiles. While this new development allows Ukraine to defend itself more effectively, the use of these missiles puts more civilians in danger. While Ukrainian civilians have so far been the most affected by the war, Russian civilians will now be at higher risk because of these long-range missiles. Putin is likely to match this escalation despite his allies urging for peace. Additionally, Europe as a whole grows closer to full-blown war. Neighboring countries have started to make preparations in case the war were to escalate further and involve the rest of Europe.

President-elect Trump has promised to end the war in 24 hours after returning to the White House, but he has given no clear strategy as to how he will achieve this. Any peace deal between the two nations must involve the re-establishment of Ukraine’s borders from before the war and a permanent end to hostilities, not just a temporary ceasefire. Ukraine must use these missiles responsibly to hit legitimate military targets and reduce the impact on civilian populations. 

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. President Biden’s announcement marks the 1,000th day of the war, which has dragged on far longer than initially expected. According to Reuters, at least 11,000 civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides have been killed since the invasion began.

Read more about the war in Ukraine on our Crisis Index page here.