Zelensky Says Ukraine Ready for Peace Negotiations Following Clash With Trump

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that "Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table," following a clash with President Donald Trump in the White House that cast doubt on a lasting ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.

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Treasury Secretary Bessent: US-Ukrainian economic deal is dead in the water



President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Washington, D.C., on Friday to finalize a deal that would afford America access to some of his country's natural wealth in exchange for investments in a reconstruction fund and a U.S. economic presence that could serve as a deterrent to future aggression from without.

Following his heated exchange with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy was reportedly told to leave the White House before the agreement could be signed. Trump noted on Truth Social, "He can come back when he is ready for Peace."

According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the so-called minerals deal — which he referred to as a "general economic agreement" — is off the table in the interim.

Bessent, who was present for the ill-fated meeting with the Ukrainian president as well as for previous attempts at closing the deal, told CBS News' Margaret Brennan on Sunday that "it is impossible to have an economic deal without a peace deal. The sine qua non for an economic deal is that Ukrainian leadership wants a peace deal."

Zelenskyy confirmed Wednesday that he was unsuccessful in pushing for an explicit security guarantee in the deal from the United States, reported the BBC.

'This is one of the biggest own goals in diplomatic history.'

"I wanted to have a sentence on security guarantees for Ukraine, and it's important that it's there," said Zelenskyy.

"I want to find a NATO path or something similar," he continued, adding, "If we don't get security guarantees, we won't have a ceasefire, nothing will work, nothing."

Although Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others in the administration figured they had made clear to the Ukrainian leadership that peace was a prerequisite for greater American involvement and that the deal was itself a de facto security guarantee, Zelenskyy cast doubt on the value of diplomacy during the Friday meeting, citing the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin might violate a ceasefire.

The treasury secretary told Brennan that the initial plan was for Zelenskyy to join around 16 individuals for lunch where the deal would be signed after the press conference in the Oval Office.

"We were already set up to sign the deal," said Bessent. "President Zelenskyy has thrown off the sequencing."

"Let me tell you the most tragic part of this," continued the treasury secretary. "President Trump's idea for this economic arrangement was to further intertwine the American people and Ukrainian people and show no daylight — to show the Russian leadership that there was no daylight. And President Zelenskyy came into the Oval Office and tried to relitigate in front of the world the deal."

Bessent suggested that absent a desire on Zelenskyy's part to strike a peace deal, the economic deal is dead in the water.

"I think we have to see if President Zelenskyy wants to proceed," said Bessent. "What's the use in having an economic agreement that's going to be rendered moot if he wants the fighting to continue?"

Bessent told Fox News' Laura Ingraham hours after the foiled deal closing, "This is one of the biggest own goals in diplomatic history."

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In Ukraine Interview, Rubio Gives Master Class In Handling Foreign Affairs

Marco Rubio outlined American interests in the administration's pressure campaign to force friendly a peace deal on Ukraine.

The Economist Blames Trump For Europe’s Weakness, But Europe Should Blame Itself

The Economist says President Donald Trump poses a "threat" to Europe. But instead of blaming Trump, Europe should look in the mirror.

Given opportunity to soften Trump's blows against Zelenskyy, Rubio keeps swinging



Independent journalist Catherine Herridge provided Secretary of State Marco Rubio with an opportunity Thursday to adopt a kinder, gentler approach to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy than that taken by President Donald Trump earlier in the week.

Instead, Rubio leaned into Trump's criticism of the foreign leader and added a few critiques of his own, including the suggestion that Zelenskyy is two-faced.

American and Russian diplomats met Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to discuss how best to proceed with ending the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy was not extended an invitation.

The Ukrainian president canceled his trip to the region and stated that "decisions on how to end the war in Ukraine cannot be made without Ukraine, nor can any conditions be imposed."

'Keep the "gravy train" going.'

Trump suggested to reporters Tuesday evening that Zelenskyy has demonstrated in recent years that he would not have been a useful addition to the Saudi Arabia talks; that Zelenskyy's complaint about a lack of representation and political agency was hypocritical given that the Ukrainian people have not had elections since February 2022 and continue to be ruled by a increasingly unpopular president whose term expired in May 2024; and that Ukraine had a hand in starting the war.

Zelenskyy was quick to respond, accusing Trump of living in a "disinformation space" and suggesting that Trump's team should "be more truthful."

The heated back-and-forth was far from over.

Trump jumped on Truth Social Wednesday morning to characterize the leader who suspended elections, dissolved rival parties, consolidated Ukraine's media outlets, and banned a Christian denomination as a "dictator without elections" who wants to "keep the 'gravy train' going."

Herridge asked Rubio in an interview that aired Thursday what he thought about Trump's Truth Social post accusing Zelenskyy of being a dictator.

'That's not what happened in that meeting.'

The secretary of state said that Trump was upset at the Ukrainian president and "rightfully so," noting that the 47th president is hardly the first to have frustrations with Zelenskyy and that "people shouldn't forget it."

Rubio alluded to when former President Joe Biden castigated Zelenskyy on a June 2022 phone call for his apparent lack of gratitude. Citing numerous insiders said to be familiar with the call, NBC News reported that Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy that the U.S. was pouring another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance into Ukraine when Zelenskyy started complaining about all the additional support he wanted but was supposedly not receiving.

Rubio noted further that he was "personally very upset because we had a conversation with President Zelenskyy — the vice president and I, three of us — and we discussed this issue about the mineral rights. We explained to them, 'Look, we want to be in a joint venture with you, not because we're trying to steal from your country, but because we think that's actually a security guarantee. If we're your partner in an important economic endeavor, we get paid back some of the money taxpayers have given, close to $200 billion, and also now we have a vested interest in the security of Ukraine.'"

According to the secretary of state, Zelenskyy indicated in the meeting that he supported the proposed mineral deal, that it made all the sense in the world, and that he would run it through his "legislative process."

"I read two days later that Zelenskyy is out there saying, 'I rejected the deal. I told him no way, that we're not doing that.' Well, that's not what happened in that meeting," said Rubio, adding that it's upsetting particularly when the U.S. is trying to "help these guys."

Rubio defended Trump's recent statements, indicating the message he is attempting to convey is that "he's not going to get gamed here. He's willing to work on peace because he cares about Ukraine, and he hopes Zelenskyy will be a partner in that and not someone who's out there putting this sort of counter-messaging to try to hustle us."

Vance, whom Zelenskyy previously called a "radical" and painted as clueless about the war, noted on X, "What Secretary Rubio is saying here is exactly right."

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Zelenskyy lashes out at Trump over suggestion Ukraine started war, should hold elections again



American and Russian diplomats met in Saudi Arabia Tuesday to get the ball rolling on ending the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made widely known his displeasure at not being invited to the discussions, canceling his trip to Riyadh and telling reporters, "Decisions on how to end the war in Ukraine cannot be made without Ukraine, nor can any conditions be imposed."

Hours after U.S. and Russian dignitaries agreed to appoint high-level teams to "begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible," President Donald Trump addressed Zelenskyy's complaint.

In addition to insinuating that Zelenskyy has proven himself incapable of doing what is needed in such talks and lacks the support of his people, Trump suggested that Ukraine started the war and should resume the practice of holding elections.

After suggesting that there has been little transparency about the hundreds of billions of dollars the U.S. has poured into Europe in recent years, Trump told reporters during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday, "I want to see peace. Look, you know why I want it? Because I don't want all these people killed any more. I'm looking at people that are being killed, and they're Russian and Ukrainian people — but they're people. It doesn't matter where they're from."

"I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it's going very well," continued Trump. "But today I heard, 'Oh well, we weren't invited.' Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years [ago]."

The 47th president added that Ukraine provoked Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, stating, "You should have never started it."

According to Trump, Ukraine fumbled an opportunity to end the war — a possible allusion to the warring nations' peace talks in 2022 in Turkey, where negotiators reportedly produced multiple drafts of a treaty that would apparently have seen Ukraine's security guaranteed while also satisfying a number of Putin's demands, such as Ukraine's indefinite neutrality and inability to join NATO.

'That's not a Russia thing. That's something coming from me.'

Trump further suggested that while Zelenskyy is upset over his lack of representation at the discussions in Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian people might similarly be upset over their lack of representation in Kyiv.

"We have a situation where we haven't had elections in Ukraine, where we have martial law, where the leader in Ukraine, I mean, I hate to say it, but he's down at 4% approval rating," said Trump, citing a figure the Ukrainian press quickly claimed was likely Russian propaganda.

A recent Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey of 1,000 residents in Ukrainian-controlled territory indicated that 57% of respondents trusted Zelenskyy and 37% did not trust him.

"Wouldn't the people of Ukraine have to say, like, 'You know, it's been a long time since we've had an election,'" continued Trump. "That's not a Russia thing. That's something coming from me and coming from many other countries."

Martial law has been in effect since Feb. 24, 2022, barring elections from taking place. Members of the Ukrainian Parliament, who have been spared political challenges for years, voted earlier this month to extend martial law again until May 9.

'He lives in this disinformation space.'

Zelenskyy's term was supposed to end in May 2024. An end to the war would likely mean he would have to fight for re-election, although he has not confirmed that he will run again.

The Ukrainian president was evidently prickled by Trump's remarks, stating in an interview, "Unfortunately, President Trump, who we respect a lot as a leader of the nation that we really respect — the American nation who supported us all the time — unfortunately, he lives in this disinformation space."

Zelenskyy, who credited Russia with the 4% figure cited by Trump, also said that he "would like Trump's team to be more truthful," reported the Associated Press.

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Trump Talks With Putin About Negotiating End to Ukraine War

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he directed his national security team to "start negotiations immediately" to end the war in Ukraine following a call with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The post Trump Talks With Putin About Negotiating End to Ukraine War appeared first on .

Putin signals opening for Trump to make good on major campaign promise about Ukraine



President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly suggested on the campaign trail that if elected, he would resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine. Critics, including so-called fact-checkers, suggested that it couldn't be done or that doing so would require unthinkable concessions on Kyiv's part.

Notwithstanding the nay-saying from the so-called experts, it appears that Trump might be able to make good on this major campaign promise after all. Putin, whose economy is apparently "overheating," told reporters Thursday that he was "ready to meet [Trump] if he wants it" and that he was open to making compromises at the negotiating table.

After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump told reporters in September, "I think I haven't changed from the standpoint that we both want to see it end and a fair deal made. It's gonna be fair. I think it will happen at the right time. I think it is going to happen."

"This is a war that should have never happened. It should have never happened, and it wouldn't have happened. It's a shame," said Trump. "We'll get it solved. It's a very complicated puzzle, very complicated puzzle, but we'll get it solved, and people [will] get on with their lives. Too many people dead."

Reuters indicated in late November — around the time President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine's use of American-made long-range missile systems against targets in Russia — that Putin was keen to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine with Trump, especially since he would be negotiating from a place of strength, having made significant advances in Ukraine at a pace unparalleled since the early days of his invasion.

'Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted.'

Five current and former Russian officials with "knowledge of Kremlin thinking" specifically told Reuters that Putin was open to freezing the conflict along the front lines. Three insiders speaking on the condition of anonymity suggested there was room for negotiation over what to do with the eastern regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, where occupying Russian forces are largely in control, and that Moscow would consider withdrawing from territorial footholds in the Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions.

Following the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria by a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and Turkish-backed Islamic militants, Trump noted in a Dec. 8 Truth Social post,

Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever. Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success. Likewise, Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!

"If a meeting takes place at some point with the newly elected president, Mr. Trump, I am sure we will have plenty to talk about," Putin said Thursday at his over four-hour long press briefing.

"Politics is the art of compromise. And we have always said that we are ready for both negotiations and compromises," said Putin. "It is just that the opposite side, in the literal and figurative sense of the word, refused to negotiate. And we are always ready for this. The result of these negotiations is always compromise."

Putin previously suggested in October that Russia was willing to make "reasonable compromises" but stressed "the outcome should be in favor of Russia."

"After all, we reached an agreement, essentially, in Istanbul at the end of 2022. And, I repeat for the 100th time, the Ukrainian side initialed this document, which means they generally agreed with it, and then for some reason they refused," Putin continued in his remarks Thursday. "It is clear why."

The New York Times reported in June that documents from the negotiating sessions held from February to April 2022 in Turkey show negotiators produced multiple drafts of a treaty that would have apparently seen Ukraine's security guaranteed while also satisfying a number of Putin's demands.

'Mr. Johnson, a man with a nice haircut, came and said that they need to fight to the last Ukrainian.'

Russia initially wanted Ukraine to recognize Crimea as part of Russia, but by April 15, both sides reportedly agreed to exclude Crimea from the treaty such that Ukraine would not formally cede the territory though Crimea would nevertheless remain under Russian occupation.

Negotiators also apparently agreed that Ukraine would declare itself permanently neutral, forgoing ever joining NATO but keeping open the possibility of membership in the European Union. They disagreed, however, over proposed limits on the firing range of Ukraine's missiles and on withdrawal of Ukrainian troops on their own territory. There was similarly pushback over Russia's demand for a removal of restrictions on the use of the Russian language in Ukraine.

While there appeared to be some agreement about numerous points in the drafts or at the very least the possibility for compromise, the Times indicated Russians effectively killed the talks with a toxic clause.

The Times indicated that in Istanbul, Ukrainian negotiators proposed a requirement that guarantor states, namely the U.S., Britain, France, China, and Russia, would have to defend Ukraine in the event of a subsequent armed attack. Moscow, however, allegedly pushed in a subsequent draft for all guarantor states to have a veto, meaning Russia could invade then block a military intervention on Ukraine's behalf.

A member of the Ukrainian negotiating team suggested that following this change, "We had no interest in continuing the talks."

Putin instead suggested in his remarks this week that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was responsible for killing the talks.

"Mr. Johnson, a man with a nice haircut, came and said that they need to fight to the last Ukrainian. So they are fighting. Soon, these Ukrainians who want to fight will run out," said Putin. "In my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight. And we are ready [to negotiate] but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises."

Zelenskyy appeared more interested in a different comment from Putin's press conference, namely the Russian president's suggestion that he was prepared to continue testing the Oreshnik hypersonic missile on Ukrainian targets, calling it an "interesting" experiment.

"People are dying, and he thinks it's 'interesting,'" wrote Zelenskyy. "Dumb***."

Zelenskyy also suggested that bringing Ukraine into NATO, "clear progress on Ukraine's EU membership," and more weapon deliveries would help make Russia recognize the need for peace.

Putin's remarks about compromises came a day after NATO chief Mark Rutte indicated that Ukraine's Western backers would continue furnishing Ukraine with weapons following a meeting with Zelenskyy in Brussels, reported Politico.

Rutte suggested that the objective is to ensure that Ukraine is in the "best possible position one day, when they decide so, to start the peace talks" with Moscow.

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Mitch McConnell's jaw-dropping insinuation about the MAGA movement



In the aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump's landslide victory, former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell compared the MAGA movement to American isolationists in the 1930s, insinuating that Trump would have been indifferent to the fascist uprising in Europe at the time.

Trump, whose foreign policy is far more hands-off than McConnell's hawkish approach, is fundamentally at odds with the former leader's geopolitical worldview. Consequently, McConnell spoke about the current state of foreign affairs and said it was "reminiscent" of the times leading up to World War II, criticizing American isolationists from both today and nearly a century ago.

It all comes down to McConnell and money. McConnell has greenlit over $170 billion to Ukraine, while Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the war altogether.

“We’re in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II,” McConnell said. “Even the slogan is the same. ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.”

McConnell has famously been a thorn in Trump's side and has been a staunch critic of the president-elect, both on and off the record. He reiterated his opposition to Trump and said he intends to push back on him and the incoming administration.

“No matter who got elected president, I think it was going to require significant pushback, yeah, and I intend to be one of the pushers," McConnell said.

It all comes down to McConnell and money. McConnell has greenlit over $170 billion to Ukraine, while Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the war altogether.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) takes a question from a reporter during a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“To most American voters, I think the simple answer is, ‘Let’s stay out of it,'" McConnell said. "That was the argument made in the ’30s, and that just won’t work. Thanks to Reagan, we know what does work — not just saying peace through strength, but demonstrating it.”

While McConnell may have stepped down from his leadership role, his grip on foreign funding is not loosening any time soon. McConnell notably stepped into the new role of chairing the Senate appropriations subcommittee on defense, which will allow him to continue influencing the cash flow to our "democratic allies."

“That’s where the real money is,” McConnell said.

While he didn't say how much more money he is willing to approve for foreign conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war, he said, "The goal here is for the Russians not to win."

"We've got two democratic allies fighting for their lives," McConnell said. "I don't think we ought to micromanage what they think is necessary to win."

McConnell has generously signed off on hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign funding. At the same time, Trump poses a threat to McConnell's preferred foreign policy. As a result, McConnell resorted to drawing perverse comparisons between Trump and American isolationists who were lukewarm about fascistic uprisings in Europe during the 1930s.

That being said, McConnell likely draws this comparison because Trump is a legitimate threat to the political infrastructure he has built since he was first elected Republican Senate leader in 2007.

McConnell can't dispute Trump's support, even admitting that the president-elect has become the most influential Republican in the party. One thing is for sure: The old-guard Senate Republicans, especially McConnell, won't go down without a fight.

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Biden reportedly clears Ukraine to take actions that Putin suggested would trigger NATO-Russia war



The Biden administration has reportedly cleared Ukraine to use American long-range missile systems against targets in Russia — a move long urged by Ukrainian officials, resisted by U.S. officials concerned about escalation, and identified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a trigger for a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.

Background

In February, President Joe Biden secretly signed off on the transfer of the Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garn told CNN that following Biden's approval, the ATACMS were included in the $300 million aid package announced on March 12 then delivered the following month.

The American-made supersonic missiles have a range of up to 190 miles. Ukraine also has British-made Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 155 miles.

The U.S. has blocked the use of such weapons in recent months over fears of escalation. However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed in September that the Biden administration was considering clearing Ukraine to start lobbing them into Russia, citing the need to adjust and adapt "as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed."

Putin, whose nation has over 5,000 nuclear warheads and boasts a supersonic missile with a range of 625 miles, responded to Blinken's suggestion by telling a reporter, "It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia."

Putin, who invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, claims the use of ATACMS would constitute direct action on the part of the U.S. because American satellite reconnaissance would allegedly be necessary for successful missile strikes. He noted in June, "Ukrainian servicemen cannot do everything on their own and strike with this missile. They are simply technologically incapable of doing this."

He equated an ATACMS strike as the work of the Pentagon and a Storm Shadow strike as the work of the British government.

Escalation

According to Reuters, two American officials and a third source familiar with the decision confirmed that the Biden administration has cleared Ukraine to employ the missiles internationally and that the first of the long-range missile strikes are expected to take place in the coming days.

A U.S. official told CNN that the missiles will likely hit targets in the Kursk region of Russia, where Kyiv launched its summer counteroffensive and where Moscow recently deployed nearly 50,000 troops, including North Korean soldiers.

According to one official, the decision to authorize the use of the ATACMS was driven in part by the recent involvement of the North Korean troops in the fighting.

'This is an impeachable offense.'

By maintaining a foothold in Kursk with the help of long-range missiles, Ukraine might be in a better bargaining position in January should Trump bring Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy and Putin to the negotiating table. The New York Times indicated that Ukrainians hope to be able to trade territory in Kursk for Ukrainian territory presently occupied by Russian forces.

Reaction

Zelenskyy noted Sunday evening, "I am deeply grateful to all our partners who support us with air defense systems and missiles. This is a truly global effort."

"The plan for strengthening Ukraine is the Victory Plan that I presented to our partners. One of its key elements is providing our army with long-range capabilities," continued Zelenskyy. "There's been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take relative actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves."

Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media, "If such a decision was really formulated and brought to the attention of the Kyiv regime, then, of course, this is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation in terms of the involvement of the United States in this conflict."

The Washington Post noted that the decision was not altogether unexpected in Moscow.

"The standoff will become even fiercer, and the talks will become more difficult," said Andrei Kartapolov, a former Russian Army officer and chairman of the parliamentary defense committee. "We expected them to escalate before the end of Biden's office — that was completely obvious."

The Biden administration's decision, which comes with only months remaining in the Democratic president's term, amounts to a significant escalation that has various adversarial nations, especially China — whose alliance with Russia has grown considerably since Putin's invasion of Ukraine — paying close attention.

'Ukraine can't properly defend itself if one hand is tied behind its back.'

There are presently tens of thousands of North Korean troops engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces. North Korea not only has a defense treaty with Russia but a firm mutual defense pact with China.

Despite its defense obligations, China has emphasized that North Korea's presence in Ukraine is its "own business" and has signaled a reluctance to get directly bogged down in the conflict. Nevertheless, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian desperately impressed upon his American counterparts the need for de-escalation.

Responding to reports that the U.S. has cleared the use of the Army Tactical Missile System by Ukraine against Russia-based targets, Lin Jian, the spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated, "China's position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear, and an early ceasefire and pursuit of a political solution are in the interests of all parties. Promoting a de-escalation of the situation as soon as possible is the top priority."

The Chinese regime also insisted that Russia, which executed a large-range missile and drone attack against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure over the weekend, should similarly pursue de-escalation.

Some American lawmakers have expressed support for Ukraine's use of the missiles, including Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who stated, "Biden's decision to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of ATACMS in Russia is long-awaited progress. But it's critical that authorized targets include Russian oil refineries, which pump out the lifeblood of the Kremlin's war machine."

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker (R) similarly expressed optimism over the development, stating Sunday, "If initial press reports are true, I am encouraged at the prospect of allowing Ukraine to use long-range ATACM missiles supplied by the U.S."

Republican Rep. Mike Turner (Ohio) wrote, "Ukraine can't properly defend itself if one hand is tied behind its back. Today's news that the Biden Administration is finally allowing Ukraine to use some U.S.-provided ATACMS to strike limited targets within Russian territory is long overdue."

Turner stressed the need to "put pressure on Vladimir Putin" ahead of Trump taking office.

Other American lawmakers are less than enthused over the prospect of a shooting war with Russia.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) tweeted, "By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all U.S. citizens. This is an impeachable offense, but the reality is he’s an emasculated puppet of a deep state."

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale (R) wrote, "American long range missiles being used to attack Russia? As many as 12,000 North Korean troops staged in Russia. When will Congress reclaim its authority and stop this proxy war we are entangled in?!"

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