Two of NATO‘s most prominent members are preparing to send more weapons to Ukraine in light of the long-range missile approval granted by President Joe Biden.
The U.K. and France have both started assembling new military packages, which include Storm Shadow missiles, in the wake of Biden’s announcement that Ukraine would be allowed to deploy American long-range missiles against targets within Russia.
The decision, taken on November 17, lifted restrictions previously placed on Ukraine that banned them from using the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) provided by the U.S. to target areas within the Russian border. It was prompted by the Russian military moving 50,000 troops to the southern region of Kursk, along Ukraine’s northern border.
The move was met with praise from European NATO leaders, who are some of the largest backers of Ukraine in the conflict with Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron said the allowance was a “good decision”, telling reporters at the G20 summit that Russia was responsible for the escalation.
“Russia is the only power that made an escalatory decision … it’s really this break that led to the U.S. decision,” Macron said.
Newsweek contacted the Russian Ministry of Defence for more information on the policy via email.
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Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Russian government, told Russian state media that the announcement was a step towards greater tension, describing the new missile policy as “a qualitatively new situation in terms of the involvement of the United States in this conflict.”
The new policy means that missiles in France and the U.K. made using U.S. technology can now be given to Ukraine and used within Russian borders. Previously, authorization from the U.S. was needed before NATO allies included them in packages for Ukraine as they rely on tracking data provided by U.S. intelligence.
Following Biden’s decision, the U.K. organized a new military package featuring Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers and warheads of 450 kg. Previously, the missiles, which are launched from fighter jets, were restricted to use within Russia-occupied Ukraine.
Not all NATO allies are taking advantage of the change in U.S. policy. Germany, which has historically been more strict in the stipulations it puts on its military aid to Ukraine, said that it would continue its policy of not providing any long-range missiles in the war.
“There are certain limits for the chancellor (Olaf Scholz),” a spokesperson for the German government said to reporters on Monday. “He does not want these long-range weapons to be delivered. This position will not change.”
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