New York : The Donald Trump administration has decided to provide Ukraine with intelligence for long-range missile strikes deep inside Russia. This will be the first time that the US will provide such assistance to Ukraine as the conflict nears its fourth anniversary. The move will make it easier for Ukraine to hit Russian energy infrastructure like refineries, pipelines and power plants.
Trump has already taken a series of steps to turn the screws on countries purchasing oil from Russia in the hope that it would force Putin’s hand into ending the war in Ukraine. The US President has imposed an additional 25% tariff on India, taking the total levy to 50% – the highest among the US’s trading partners. He has also repeatedly asked European countries to stop purchasing Russian oil and gas.
US officials said President Trump signed off on allowing intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to aid Ukraine with the long-range strikes last week, the WSJ reported. The US has also asked North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) allies to provide similar support. However, for Ukraine to carry out such strikes, it would need the US’s Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 2,500km. This will make it capable of striking Moscow and much of western Russia.
Nonetheless, the development marks a major shift in Trump’s position on the war with Russia and indicates his growing frustration with Putin for not coming to the negotiation table on ending the war. However, he has stopped short of imposing further sanctions on Russia so far. Earlier this week, Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to end the war, asserted that Kyiv could “win all of Ukraine back in its original form.
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