Afrasianet - In a new development of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Kiev's allies announced their agreement to allow it to use the weapons they supplied to strike targets inside Russia, under certain conditions, as although this step, which came late, may open the way for Ukraine to strike strong blows deep into Russia, but experts doubt its ability to radically change the course of the battle that has been going on for more than two years.
Keir Giles, an expert at the Chatham House Institute, points out that the move would prevent Russia from taking advantage of those areas it was using to prepare and launch its attacks.
Despite the potential benefits, Giles criticized the significant delay in making this decision, saying, "This step came too late, as such a decision should have been made more than two years ago," noting that the delay comes from the United States and the slowness in making critical decisions.
The developments come at a time when Ukraine is facing severe shortages of ammunition and manpower, according to experts.
Despite this, Alexander Lipman, a professor of Russian and Eastern European politics at the Free University of Berlin, noted that allowing Ukraine to strike Russian targets would strengthen its position, but it is unclear whether it will radically change the course of the war.
"The military rationale for granting Ukraine this power is clear, but there are structural limits that Ukraine now faces, such as shortages of troops and ammunition, which will continue to pose significant challenges on the battlefield," Lipman said.
John Hardy, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said allowing Ukraine to use U.S. artillery and missiles to strike Russian forces across the border was "self-evident."
Western missiles, such as Storm Shadow and Atacmes, could target some Russian air bases from which planes launch glide bomb attacks, which could help reduce Russian air threats, he said.
Kiev is likely to struggle to obtain the intelligence needed to quickly identify and strike distant targets inside Russia.
Earlier this month, the New York Times quoted unidentified Ukrainian officials as saying that Ukraine needed more immediate intelligence and target identification inside Russia from its U.S. and European allies.
It is unclear whether the United States will change its stance and provide intelligence to support such strikes.
Without such support, Ukraine's ability to target targets will be limited by satellite imagery, drone surveillance, and what informants can observe on the ground, which is not the only challenge Ukrainian forces face.
In general, it is not new to NATO in such an approach, as it mainly participates in military supplies, carries out a mission carrying weapons and mercenaries, and participates in its experts in determining the military coordinates of Ukrainian forces.
While the move could open up new offensive possibilities, experts are skeptical that it can fundamentally change the balance of power, without resolving Ukraine's other dilemmas.
Amid reports that US President Joe Biden agreed to allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia, using US weapons, the move is estimated to further complicate the conflict between Moscow and the West, while these repercussions will reach his arch-rival in the presidential election, Donald Trump, who is close to the current indicators of returning to the White House again.
According to Politico, the administration of US President Joe Biden has "secretly" granted Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia using US weapons, in a new development in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
According to the report, the US government bowed to Ukrainian pressure and gave the Ukrainian military a "green light" to use US weapons to bomb areas inside Russia, only near the Kharkiv region, according to a US official and two other people familiar with the matter.
Observers and specialists in US affairs believe that Biden may inflame the situation with Russia, which may escalate its response, including "tactical nuclear weapons", which means ending any current aspirations to reach a peace formula between Kiev and Moscow, and thus blocking the way for Trump to implement his "own peace plan" and complicating the US foreign policy file in his term if he wins the presidency.
Some experts suggest that Kiev wants to reach the Swiss meeting on Ukraine with the illusion that if it strikes deep into Russia, it will carry a victory that may lead the West to believe that it can win.
There is no doubt that allowing the use of American weapons deep into Russia will lead to serious problems for Russia, which "will not be silent and will respond violently."
Biden's approval seems to be "an attempt to increase his popularity in light of his current internal problems, but in doing so he cuts off the funny thing about his rival Trump, who puts ending this conflict at the top of his priorities, especially in light of his disagreement with NATO."
If he wins a new term, Trump has threatened not to defend NATO countries that do not allocate enough of their budget to defense, even saying he would "encourage" Russia to attack them.
However , "Biden may rush behind these pressures in this difficult period by creating a supportive public opinion to confront Russia and thus mobilize more votes behind him, but it may be counterproductive in Trump's favor, but then he will find himself in a crisis with Russia itself." And also to distract attention from his position on genocide and his active participation in it.
Those who support Ukraine are themselves participants in Israel's genocide against the Palestinians.
The repercussions of using US weapons to attack Russia's domestic targets are "dangerous", as "Moscow may respond with a tactical nuclear strike, which the world cannot tolerate in the midst of such current challenges ."
The United States remained unaffected by pressure from Western allies, who encouraged the idea of using Ukrainian weapons inside Russia, especially since during most of the war, allies drew a "firm red line" regarding Ukraine's use of the weapons they supplied to it inside Russian territory, fearing an escalation by the Kremlin that could turn the conflict into World War III. However, France, Britain, and a number of NATO members also lobbied Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
In March, Trump said he could stop the war in Ukraine within one day if re-elected president by "preventing World War III very easily."
According to the Washington Post, Trump has "privately" said he could end the war by pressuring Kiev to give up some of the territory Russia captured after its military operation that began in February 2022. The latest New York Times poll showed Trump leading by about 48 percent over Biden, who received 43 percent.
Politico also reported that there are growing signs that Trump is showing the incumbent president, causing "panic" among Democrats.
This month, Russia announced the start of exercises to increase the readiness of its tactical nuclear weapons in parts bordering Ukraine, making these exercises look like a new threat from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Many of Ukraine's allies have given the green light to Kiev to use their weapons systems inside Russian territory. Recently, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said during a visit to Kiev that Ukraine "has the absolute right to respond to Russia." France has also signaled its willingness to follow suit.
The use of Western weapons to strike Russian territory would have significant geopolitical implications, and could increase tensions between Russia and NATO arms suppliers.
The risk of escalation, including the possibility of Russia retaliating against NATO members, is also a serious concern, especially in light of Vladimir Putin's repeated use of nuclear threats to stoke Western fears.
The Kremlin's nuclear threats, though often considered a threat, cannot be completely dismissed, especially if they choose to view direct attacks on their homeland as an existential threat. Russian military doctrine allows the use of nuclear weapons if so.
Italy, a NATO founder, reiterated its opposition to Ukraine's use of Italian weapons inside Russia, warning of a "delicate" situation in which "reckless" moves must be avoided.
Antonio Tajani said during a meeting in Rapallo in northwestern Italy: "This is a very sensitive moment, we must not take false steps" and we must avoid "rash steps and statements."
In any case, it seems that the Atlantic West is determined to sacrifice Ukraine amid unprecedented hysteria that may ignite new fronts, especially since the news talks about the continuous incitement of the Baltic states to join this war, and the military build-up in Finland and on the borders of Russia are not well-intentioned, and perhaps the coming days will not be as they preceded them in the Russian-Ukrainian war, but the illusions of Ukrainian victory will only lead to more failure for the West and Ukraine, which already exists.