SHANGHAI, November 19. /TASS/. The Biden administration’s decision to remove restrictions on long-range missile strikes against Russia has placed US President-elect Donald Trump in a difficult position, Zheng Renyi, a scholar at the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told TASS.
"Trump has never shown much interest in the Ukraine conflict, preferring to focus on improving US-Russia relations. He has consistently sought to minimize direct US involvement in Russia’s and Ukraine’s internal matters. Actions like these by Biden have put Trump in a very challenging situation. On one hand, it is hard for Trump to backtrack because military assistance has already been sent, and a clear policy has been established, so Ukraine will naturally expect continued support. If Trump stops aid, he will face strong domestic criticism for appearing weak and will likely lose support, especially from Republican hawks who back Ukraine. On the other hand, if Trump continues with Biden’s policy, his prior reputation as a pacifist will collapse, leading to substantial political repercussions," the expert stated.
Zheng also warned that the Biden administration’s decision could ultimately harm US-Russia relations. "If Trump hopes to resume diplomatic negotiations, he will face strong opposition not only at home but also from Russia," Zheng added.
US decision to lift restrictions on strikes inside Russia
The New York Times reported on November 17, citing sources, that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia. At the same time, France’s Le Figaro reported that Paris and London had given similar approval for the use of their SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, respectively. However, the French paper later retracted this claim from its online article without offering an explanation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot clarified that Paris had not changed its policy on strikes deep inside Russia. The German government confirmed that the United States had informed Berlin about the decision to authorize strikes within Russia. Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US had lifted restrictions on US-supplied missiles, permitting them to strike up to 300 kilometers into Russian territory. He explained that the matter had been discussed at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting, but no common decision was reached, with each member state to make its own determination. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Moscow had clearly outlined its stance on US missile strikes inside Russia, as stated by President Vladimir Putin in September. Peskov emphasized that Washington’s decision marked "a qualitatively new phase" of tensions.