The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members are on high alert for possible strikes after Ukraine fired long-range US-made missiles into Russian territory. Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian forces deployed ATACMS missiles hitting Russia’s Bryansk region, the latest escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Western countries wanted to escalate the war. He said the Kremlin would take this strike as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia and react accordingly.
Ukraine’s use of ATACMS comes just days after US President Joe Biden authorized the use of American weapons for deep strikes inside Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian Armed Forces struck a facility in the Bryansk region with six ATACMS ballistic missiles. The Russian forces intercepted five of these missiles. The Pentagon declined to comment on Ukraine’s strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also declined to comment on the latest strike. But he highlighted that Ukraine has long-range capabilities and long-range drones of its production, as well as Ukrainian cruise missiles and the ATACMS. Zelensky added that Ukraine will use all of its weapons. He said Ukraine will not trade security or sovereignty, and not give up its rights to their entire territory.
Russia Has Every Right to Attack NATO
Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to the US Secretary of State Colin Powell, said NATO has entered the conflict in Ukraine after the Biden administration decided to allow Ukraine to use US weapons in Russia. He said Russia now has every right to attack NATO targets amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
The US military expert pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov have been right that US and NATO satellite feeds or personnel are needed to launch the ATACMS missiles. As such NATO has entered the war and Russia has every right, under international law, to attack NATO targets.
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Russia needs to take concrete steps to protect itself, and NATO should review Russia’s revised nuclear doctrine. Putin lowered Russia’s nuclear threshold on Tuesday to counter US President Joe Biden’s allowing Ukraine to use American missiles.
