Donald Trump Jr. has accused President Joe Biden of attempting to ignite World War III before his father can take office, following Biden’s approval for Ukraine to target deep inside Russia using U.S.-supplied long-range missiles.
This decision marks a significant shift in U.S. policy as Biden prepares to leave office, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to limit American involvement in the Ukraine conflict and bring the war to an end as swiftly as possible.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., took to X (formerly Twitter) after the announcement, claiming that “the military-industrial complex seems to want to ensure World War III begins before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives.”
David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur and prominent donor to Trump’s presidential campaign, echoed similar concerns, warning that Biden’s approval of Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied missiles would “massively escalate” the situation. “President Trump won a clear mandate to end the war in Ukraine. So what does Biden do in his final two months in office? Massively escalate it. Is his goal to hand Trump the worst situation possible?” Sacks said.
Ukraine is reportedly preparing for its first long-range missile strikes in the coming days, with sources indicating these attacks will likely be carried out using ATACMS rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that Biden’s policy shift had not been officially confirmed by the White House, he emphasized that “the missiles will speak for themselves.”
Zelensky had long urged Biden to allow his country to strike military targets deeper within Russia, arguing that the previous restrictions had hindered Ukraine’s ability to defend its cities and infrastructure from Russian attacks.
Former NATO official Nicholas Williams described the move as significant for the war’s outcome, noting that although Ukraine might feel it’s “too little, too late,” the decision still holds the potential to influence the final stages of the conflict. He also stressed that it could help prevent Ukraine from making major concessions to Russia in order to reach a peace agreement.
