CNN v. Fox News: Biden authorizes Ukraine to use US long-range missiles in Russia

 

CNN: "Biden authorizes Ukraine to use long-range US weapons in Russia"

• President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use powerful, long-range US weapons in Russia.
• This decision comes as Russia has deployed 50,000 troops, including thousands of North Korean troops, to Kursk to prepare to take back the territory. 
• North Korea's entry has caused Biden and his advisors to worry that this is leading to a dangerous new phase of the war. 
• Allowing Army Tactile Missile Systems (ATACMS) inside Russia has been a decision under consideration for months.
• Some American officials fear this could escalate the war while others worry about Ukraine's dwindling stockpile of weapons. 
• For the first 2 years of the war the US refused to provide Ukraine with ATACMS.
• Biden secretly approved the transfer of these weapons in February for use inside Ukrainian territory. 
• The US delivered these weapons in April.
• Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky had been seeking permission from Washington to use these weapons in Russia to gain momentum in the war effort.  
• When Zelensky met with Biden in September, he provided a detailed list of targets inside Russia that he wanted to hit with the weapons. 
• This list was a key part of Zelensky's "victory plan" and although Biden was not entirely dismissive of the plan, he was noncommittal and the leaders agreed to discuss the issue further. 
• Ukraine has conducted several successful strikes inside Russia using their own long-range drones.
• These drones have a much longer range than the ATACMS
• US officials have noted that Russia has moved some valuable targets outside of the ATACMS 180-mile range. 
• Ukrainians have argued there are still plenty of Russian targets within this range.
• The US and its allies have been working to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs through the end of 2025 as a way to "Trump-proof" US security aid. 
• Trump has claimed the Ukraine-Russia war would not have started if he had been president.
• On Friday Zelensky, referring to the Trump administration, stated the war “will end faster with the policy of this team that will now lead the White House"
• Trump has claimed he can settle the war in one day despite not saying how he will do so.
• Biden's authorization of the weapons has come after receiving word that 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia and have begun working with Russian forces in the Kursk region, where Ukraine's military operation has stalled.
• CNN was previously told by a Ukranian commander that North Korean troops were a "Significant resource" for Moscow's war on Ukraine as they would free up Russian troops for other assault operations and would eventually take part in direct combat. 

Fox News: "Biden authorizes Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike inside Russia: report"

• President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range US-provided missiles on targets inside Russian territory.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said this type of action would constitute an act of war.
• Putin has yet to respond to Biden's authorization announcement
• Biden's announcement came hours after Russia launched over 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine's power and energy infrastructure. 
• Putin has said previously that green-lighting Ukraine to use missiles would mean the US and NATO are "in the war.
• Putin stated in September: "Flight assignments for these missile systems can, in fact, only be entered by military personnel from NATO countries. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this. And therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is a question of making a decision whether NATO countries directly participate in the military conflict or not. If this decision is made, it will mean nothing less than the direct participation of NATO countries, the United States, and European countries, in the war in Ukraine"
• A  peace envoy to assist in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia is expected to be announced soon by President-elect Trump's transition team.
• On the campaign trail, Trump argued he could solve the conflict before entering office.
• Trump has been announcing names of those he wants to fill his Cabinet at a lightning-fast pace. 
• Trump is being encouraged by some advisors to push Kyiv to agree to terms that would freeze the frontlines by creating an 800-mile-long demilitarized zone and allow Russia to keep the land it has illegally seized. 
• This would be approximately 20% of Ukraine. 
• Advisors have also suggested that Kyiv agree to not pursue NATO membership for 20 years.
• Critics claim the stipulation kowtows to Putin.

Discussion

    Analyzing these two articles was very interesting. Before reading either of them, I expected them to be very similar since the two titles were almost identical. However, upon reading them, the two articles contained very different and, at times, conflicting information. The CNN article focused mainly on the background of the US giving Ukraine ATACMS. It also focused on Zelensky's plan for the weapons and showed how the decision to allow these weapons to be used in Russia has developed over time. The Fox News article focused mainly on the potential negative effects of Biden's authorization, particularly Putin's previous statements about seeing this action as an act of war. The two articles seemed to conflict on the immediate factor leading to Biden's authorization. The CNN article seemed to accredit this to the 10,000 North Korean forces that have been deployed to Kursk while the Fox News article seemed to suggest that this authorization is due to Russia's recent missile and drone strike against Ukraine's power and energy infrastructure.