Trump Slams Biden for Greenlighting Ukraine's Use of U.S. Weapons on Russian Territory

President-elect Donald Trump severely attacked President Joe Biden's recent decision allowing Ukraine to hit Russian territory with American long-range weaponry. Speaking on Monday at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump referred to the action as "stupid" and said it might jeopardize initiatives toward peace between Russia and Ukraine.

"I don't think that should have been allowed, not when there's a possibility—certainly not just weeks before I take over," Trump remarked, implying he would change the direction of the policy following his January 20 inauguration.

Last month, following months of pressure from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his supporters, the Biden administration decided to relax limitations on the use of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) supplied by the United States. The modification sought to assist Ukraine in offsetting Russian strikes on its infrastructure and cities.

John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, defended the action underlining that it resulted from careful thought. "We have explained the reasoning behind it in talks with the incoming government," Kirby added.

Trump's comments fit his long-standing belief that Russia and Ukraine should negotiate a termination to the over three-year conflict. Although Trump has frequently praised his capacity to negotiate peace, he admitted Monday that settling the Russia-Ukraine issue could prove difficult.

Tensions on the ground remain high nevertheless. The Pentagon has cautioned of a possible Russian missile escalation; Moscow threatens to target NATO members should Kyiv keep attacking Russian territory.

Zelenskyy has been aggressively campaigning Trump to keep U.S. backing as Ukraine struggles with combat complexity. Trump's remarks, however, imply that major legislative changes could be just around the corner, therefore affecting Ukraine's capacity to use American military assistance.

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