The U.S. President, Joe Biden, has reiterated his administration’s support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Biden has barely two months to leave office.
Speaking on Monday at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Biden however failed to directly speak on his reported decision to approve Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles against Russia.
“We all have to work to end the conflicts and crises that are eroding progress to improve security around the world,” Biden said.
“The United States strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Everyone around this table, in my view, should as well,” he said.
US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, who spoke to reporters on Monday, refused to confirm the country’s alleged plans to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russian territory.
He, however, said the U.S. “would respond” to the deployment of North Korean forces in Kursk.
Finer said that “the fire was lit by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”, which he referred to as “the main issue”.
The U.S alleged plans has been met with criticism, with Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it would mean Washington’s direct involvement in the conflict.
He accused the U.S. of “throwing oil on the fire,” just as President Vladimir Putin had said in September.
Putin warned against the sanction of missiles to Ukraine, saying it would indicate that NATO was joining the war leading to a probable escalation.
The missiles which were supplied by the US to Ukraine are called the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). It has a range of 300km (190 miles) and was first developed in the 1980s and known to have huge devastating impacts.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pressing his Western allies, including the US and United Kingdom for months to allow missiles to be used against Russia as Moscow’s forces have been making slow but steady gains in eastern Ukraine.
Also criticising Biden, Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., in post on X, said, “On his way out of office, Joe Biden is dangerously trying to start WWIII by authorizing Ukraine the use of U.S. long range missiles into Russia,” Greene, who is among the Republicans who want to cut US aid to Ukraine.
“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives,” Trump Jr said.