MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden’s authorization of long-range missile strikes inside Russia is aimed at provoking Moscow to take radical steps, Andrey Sushentsov, Valdai International Discussion Club program director, head of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations’ department of international relations and member of the academic council under the Russian Security Council, told TASS.

"Biden realizes that his decision pushes negotiations further away and brings Ukraine closer to defeat. While claiming to support Ukraine, the United States is in fact supporting its collapse, shortening its tool’s days. There is a direct correlation: Kiev inevitably gets a substantive response to any sensitive strikes on Russia. The Western media have been publishing an increasing number of obits reporting about the death of NATO officers in Ukraine," the expert pointed out.

According to Sushentsov, Biden is under pressure from Washington’s allies and "the hawks" in his government who believe that the US is not providing enough support to Kiev. Biden seeks to end his presidency on a high note, demonstrating to allies that the US is not abandoning its Ukraine-related obligations, he added.

"Strategically, Biden is trying to make it more difficult for the next administration to find potential ways to resolve the conflict in the future," the analyst noted.

Biden’s decision: an act of desperation

"The US pays close attention to what Russia says. Washington realizes that Moscow is ready to respond to violations of its vital interests, which is what is keeping the US from directly interfering in the Ukraine conflict," Sushentsov went on to say.

The political scientist pointed to recent remarks by NATO Military Committee Chair Rob Bauer, and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Baurer said on November 13 that Russia’s nuclear weapons were the only thing preventing NATO from sending troops to Ukraine, while Sikorski stated in September that NATO would not down Russian missiles from its territory for fear of engaging in a conflict with Russia.

"Their decision on missile strikes is an act of desperation. The US goal is to provoke Russia to take a radical step - ideally, to use nuclear weapons, which they will slam as a totally unjustified measure. This may affect efforts to achieve the goals of our special military operation, which has been producing results for us," the expert emphasized. In his view, the West has no military way of defeating Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

Speaking about Russia’s potential responses to the US’ provocative actions, Sushentsov mentioned a statement by Andrey Sinitsyn, head of Russia’s Central Testing Ground on the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, who said on September 17 that the facility was fully prepared for a potential resumption of nuclear tests. The political scientist also pointed out that Russian fighter jets’ patrolling missions along the border with the US and the presence of Russian strategic nuclear submarines near the US coast "are a deterrent that has the United States constantly looking over its shoulder."

"As Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, the Russian leadership is keeping its options open. Unfortunately, the Americans are making Moscow think that it’s only possible to stop them by force. This long-term policy is very dangerous and unwise, and it will force Russia to create symmetrical or asymmetrical threats to US facilities, interests and territory. US enemies in various parts of the world may, as our president noted, turn out to have the weapons that will stir up trouble for Washington," the expert concluded.