Biden’s missile edict is about Ukraine getting as much leverage as it can before Trump takes office

The Biden administration’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with US-provided missiles is unlikely to change the course of the war dramatically. The move has been subject of fierce speculation for months, giving Russia plenty of time to adapt.

It also comes as America’s support for Ukraine is waning, with an incoming administration that seems more inclined to strike a deal with Vladimir Putin rather than underwrite Ukraine’s effort to defend itself.

The decision, however, is not inconsequential, as illustrated by the hysterical responses from Putin’s political allies inside Russia (“very big step toward the beginning of the third world war,” one member of the Duma said) and in Europe (an illustration, according to Hungary’s foreign minister, of “pro-war force” eager to “expand the war in Ukraine to a global scale”).