UKRAINE

NPR -  President Biden has given Ukraine the green light to use long-range U.S. missiles for strikes inside Russia, a U.S. official told NPR. The missiles, known as the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, can travel about 190 miles. A U.S. official said Biden’s decision comes as Russia recently deployed around 10,000 North Korean troops in and around the Kursk region in a bid to push Ukrainian forces out of Russian territory.

Biden’s concern has been a possible Russian escalation, NPR’s Greg Myre tells Up First. But now his priority is signaling that his administration wants to do what it can before leaving office in January. There are real limits to this new policy. Russia is already pulling back warplanes and other key systems from missile range. President-elect Trump has said he wants negotiations to end the war and has expressed opposition to more U.S. military assistance. Ukrainians are concerned they’ll face pressure to make concessions, which could include territory, to Russia.