Erdogan: US decision to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia can be interpreted as "attempt to ignite war that will never end"
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range weapons could be interpreted as an "attempt to start a war."
Erdogan said this during a conversation with journalists on his way back from Brazil, where he participated in the G20 summit, Censor.NET reports citing CNN Türk.
"First of all, we do not consider this decision (permission to use long-range weapons - ed.) correct and do not approve of it. From the beginning of the Ukrainian-Russian war, we have believed that it can end not with more weapons, more blood, more tears, but with more peacekeeping efforts, more goodwill and diplomacy," the Turkish president said.
According to Erdogan, U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory can be interpreted as "an attempt to ignite a war and ensure that it never ends or even spreads."
"This move by Biden will not only lead to an escalation of the conflict, but also to a greater Russian response. Mr. Putin has also approved a doctrine that allows his country to respond with nuclear weapons if it is attacked by ballistic missiles. All of this could bring the region and the world to the brink of a new major war," Erdogan added.
Authorization for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation
As a reminder, current US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to launch long-range ATACMS missiles at Russian territory.
CNN noted that Biden's authorization to fire long-range missiles at Russia would complicate Trump's plans for a truce.
Axios writes that Biden's lifting of restrictions on long-range strikes applies only to the Kursk region of Russia.
The day before, Le Figaro reported that France and Britain, following the United States, had authorized the use of SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles against Russia.
However, the text of the publication was later changed.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine's use of long-range ATACMS missiles to attack Russian territory would mean "direct participation of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia."
On November 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the United States had authorized Ukraine to strike Russian territory with ATACMS ballistic missiles. However, he refused to confirm or deny the attack on the Bryansk region of Russia.
