TRANSCRIPT
The Biden administration says it will allow Ukraine to use United States-supplied weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory.
The move would mark a significant shift in US policy on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Retired United States Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton has told CNN the involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict has been worrying US officials.
"What the Biden administration is signalling is that that kind of ambition to the Russian war machine is unacceptable to us. We don't want foreign troops coming into Russia, supporting the Russian war effort. And the North Koreans are the first ones to do this overtly at least. And the signal to the North Koreans - as well as the Chinese - is not to support the Russian war effort. At least not that overtly."
The decision follows Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy’s calls to target distant Russian assets using ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) rockets with a 306-kilometre range.
With Donald Trump due to be inaugurated into the U-S presidency on January the 20th, it's possible Mr Biden's decision could be reversed in the future.
Mr Trump has long criticised the scale of US financial and military aid to Ukraine and has vowed to end the war quickly, without ever explaining how.
"If I were president, and I say this, I will end that war in one day. It'll take 24 hours. I know Zelenskyy well, I know Putin well. That deal would be easy. A lot of it has to do with the money. A lot of it has to do with the military that we're giving but I would get that deal done within 24 hours. That war has to be stopped."
Ukraine is expected to launch its first long-range attacks in the coming days, although Mr Zelenskyy has declined to say when, where or how the missiles will be used.
"Today, there’s a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves - they certainly will. Glory to Ukraine."
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that if the US allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles on targets in Russia, then Russia would consider itself at war with NATO.
"If the decision is made, it will mean nothing more than the direct participation of NATO countries, the United States and European countries, in the war in Ukraine. That is their direct participation. And this, of course, significantly changes the very nature of the conflict. This will mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, they are at war with Russia."
Russian politician Vladimir Dzhabarov warned strikes deep into Russian territory could trigger World War Three, and that Russia would respond swiftly.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says any escalation of the conflict must be avoided.
“Our position has been very clear regarding the need to avoid a permanent escalation of the Ukraine war. We want peace, but we want peace with justice, in line with the resolutions of the General Assembly, with the Charter of the United Nations and with international law.”
Meanwhile, Russia has launched its largest airstrikes on Ukraine in three months, firing 120 missiles and 90 drones and killing at least seven people.
The strikes severely damaged the power grid, causing outages across several regions, with Odesa facing a blackout that disrupted transport and water supplies.
Marina Martynenko is the spokesperson for the Odesa Region Emergency Service.
"We have opened 45 invincibility points at fire stations in the city of Odesa and in the Odesa region. People can charge their electronic devices here, drink hot tea, receive basic food. There are also kids' corners where children can draw, read illustrated books."
And a Russian rocket has struck a nine-storey building in Ukraine's Sumy region, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens of others.
Authorities evacuated 400 residents near the Russia border, with emergency workers evaluating the damage.
