Trump Criticizes Biden’s Approval of Long-Range Strikes on Russia

Biden recently authorized the use of US-provided ATACMS missiles for attacks on internationally-recognized Russian territory.

Ukrainian forces have since launched several strikes, including one last week on a military airfield near Taganrog in southern Russia.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two of the six missiles were intercepted by air defense systems, while the others were diverted via electronic warfare.

“I don’t think they should have allowed missiles to be shot 200 miles into Russia,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.

“Not when there’s a possibility… and certainly not just weeks before I take over. Why would they do that without asking me what I thought?” He added, “I thought it was a very stupid thing to do,” and suggested he “might” rescind the authorization after taking office next month.

Trump has repeatedly accused Biden of escalating the conflict with Russia, and Monday’s remarks marked his second condemnation of the long-range strikes in a week. Speaking to Time Magazine earlier, he described the decision to allow Ukrainian forces to attack Russian territory as “a major escalation” and “a foolish decision.”

Russia also views these strikes as a significant escalation. President Vladimir Putin recently emphasized that such missile launches require “the direct involvement of military experts from the manufacturing nations.”

Following a Ukrainian strike on a facility in Bryansk Region, Russia retaliated with a newly-developed Oreshnik hypersonic missile, targeting a military-industrial site in Dnepr. The Kremlin has stated that Ukraine's recent attack on Taganrog will also face an appropriate response.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Trump’s stance on the strikes, agreeing that they “escalate the situation around the conflict.”

Trump, who has pledged to end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office, admitted during the press conference that resolving the “Russia-Ukraine situation” might prove “more difficult” than addressing conflicts in the Middle East. Both Kiev and Moscow have expressed skepticism about his claim.