Reports surfaced on Sunday that Biden had given the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the U.S. to strike Russia, drawing concerns about the stakes in a war Trump will inherit once he is inaugurated in January 2025.
Biden's move, which comes two months before he exits the Oval Office, marks a significant shift in Washington's stance, as it had previously declined for months to grant Kyiv permission to deploy ATACMS missiles beyond its own borders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently cautioned that strikes on Russia's internationally recognized territory using U.S.-supplied weapons would be interpreted as direct involvement by NATO in the conflict. He has hinted that such actions could provoke serious consequences, potentially including retaliatory measures against Western interests.
'It is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is about deciding whether NATO countries become directly involved in the military conflict or not,' he said.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a close confidant of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has opposed any attempt to escalate the ongoing war.
Musk, who also owns social media giant X, weighed in on the matter while agreeing with a post stating 'libs love war.'
The post was published by Utah Senator Mike Lee, a Republican, who reacted to the news, saying 'Libs [liberals] love war,' adding: 'war facilitates bigger government.'
In response, Musk, designated to lead the Department of Government Efficiency in the next administration, replied with 'True.'
Richard Grenell, a close adviser to the president-elect who served as acting director of national intelligence in 2020, accused Biden of 'escalating the wars before he leaves office.'
Trump's son, Donald Jr., also weighed in on the sensitive matter, accusing Biden of an attempt to trigger World War III.
'The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives,' Trump's son wrote on X.
"Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!' he added.
Trump has committed to ending the conflict which began on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Prior to the full-scale war, tensions between the two countries had been escalating for years, particularly after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its involvement in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists were fighting Ukrainian forces.
To bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion, Trump is expected to push Moscow and Kyiv to agree to peace talks.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
