Biden’s major missile reversal complicates potential western diplomatic thaw with Moscow

A major decision by the United States to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles deeper inside Russian territory has complicated a potential western diplomatic thaw with Russia as dozens of world leaders gather this week.

A major decision by the United States to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles deeper inside Russian territory has complicated a potential western diplomatic thaw with Russia as dozens of world leaders gather this week. Sunday’s decision was viewed by many western leaders as a way to position Ukraine for success ahead of a change in American leadership, with the incoming president skeptical of continued US assistance. But it also complicated the diplomatic dance leaders attending the G20 summit must partake in as they navigate the complex geopolitical dynamics of the bloc. Russia “will perceive launches of long-range missiles guided by US military experts as a qualitatively new phase of war by the West,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a news conference at the summit, according to Russian state media TASS. Lavrov attended the G20 in place of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faced questions about whether he could be arrested for war crimes on international soil. Days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Brazilian authorities to arrest Putin, the Russian leader said he would skip the summit to avoid disrupting it. Amid the change in strategy – which Biden had deliberated over for months – the president and his team steered clear of Lavrov on the ground in Rio.