If US missiles are employed on its territory, Russia promises a “tangible” response.

Russia claims that Ukraine will receive “an appropriate and tangible” retaliation if it uses US long-range missiles. According to a statement from the foreign ministry, such an attack on Russian soil “would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia.”

Two months before he is scheduled to leave office, President Joe Biden authorized the firing of the missiles on targets in Russia, marking a significant shift in US policy. Given his pledge to halt the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it is unclear whether his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, was consulted or if he will uphold the decision.

The Western allies had prohibited Kyiv from using the US ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) and French and British Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 300 kilometers (190 miles), to strike Russia. Tuesday is the 1,000th day of the conflict, and Biden’s decision to remove that condition represents a major turning point. On February 24, 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now that the conflict seems to be at a standstill, Moscow has stepped up its strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure.

Additionally, the US decision comes as more than 10,000 North Korean troops arrived in Russia’s western Kursk area to support President Vladimir Putin’s forces, where Ukrainian forces have taken control of and are clinging to a small portion of territory. North Korea may send up to 100,000 troops, along with artillery and other weaponry, to its ally, according to unverified sources. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that “the missiles will speak for themselves,” suggesting that the US agreement may not be formally announced.

Ukraine might be the first to use the ATACMS at Kursk; in fact, according to some accounts, the US may have limited their use there as a warning to North Korea to cease aiding Moscow and Russia. The West is interpreting Biden’s acceptance of the long-range missiles—which might be followed by similar authorizations from the UK and France—as a warning to the Russian leader that he cannot win the war in Ukraine militarily. Putin has not responded to the most recent action.

The Russian leader claimed in September that Ukraine’s employment of such weapons would amount to the “direct participation” of NATO nations in the conflict. Putin’s spokesperson claimed that the United States was “adding oil to the fire” on Monday. However, US deputy national security advisor Jon Finer stated that Washington has made it “clear to the Russians that we would respond” to the “major escalation” in Russian aerial attacks on infrastructure throughout Ukraine as well as the existence of North Korean personnel.

Russia launched fierce attacks on Ukraine’s electrical grid over the weekend, resulting in widespread blackouts. Numerous persons suffered injuries or lost their lives. Another 10 people were killed and almost 50 injured in a Russian strike on Odesa on Monday.As of yet, Donald Trump has not responded to Biden’s choice. On November 5, he won handily, and on January 20, he will be back in the White House.Trump has pledged to utilize taxpayer funds to better the lives of Americans and to withdraw the US from international conflicts. He has also promised to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine in a day, although he has not specified how.

Zelensky previously stated that he anticipated Trump will put pressure on Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace agreement within the upcoming year. French President Emmanuel Macron praised Biden’s decision as a “totally good” move. France and the UK might be able to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles within Russia thanks to the US authorization. The ATACMS is comparable to the French-British long-range cruise missile Storm Shadow. Neither UK Prime Minister Sir Keir nor Macron have yet to officially state whether they will permit Kyiv to use their weapons in the same manner.

Chinese state media reported that China’s Xi Jinping urged world leaders to “cool the Ukraine crisis” and look for a peaceful solution. As Russia looks to lessen the effects of the sanctions imposed by the US and Europe over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China has emerged as a crucial ally. Beijing has consistently refuted claims that it provides arms to Moscow.

Following a historic national security trial that has harmed the city’s once-feisty democracy movement and garnered criticism from the United States and other nations, Hong Kong’s High Court on Tuesday imprisoned 45 pro-democracy activists for a maximum of ten years. In 2021, a national security statute enforced by Beijing led to the arrest and prosecution of 47 pro-democracy activists on charges of conspiracy to conduct subversion, carrying life sentences.

The 2020 national security law’s maximum sentence to date was 10 years in prison for Benny Tai, a former legal scholar who was named in the ruling as a “mastermind” of the activists’ schemes. The accusations concerned the planning of an unauthorized “primary election” in 2020 to choose the top contenders for a legislative election that would follow. Prosecutors charged the activists with planning to disrupt the administration by doing possibly disruptive acts if elected.The trial has drawn criticism from certain Western nations, with the United States calling it “politically motivated,” opening a new tab, and arguing that the Democrats should be freed because they had been peacefully and lawfully engaging in political activities.