Donald Trump was put out of a connect by Joe Biden.  , Trump, in his political campaign, had claimed he was immediately bring an end to the Ukraine war and push a dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow.
Joe Biden’s decision to launch ATACMS missiles on Russia has given the panel the confidence to fulfill that commitment.
The Ukrainians shot five or six ATACMS weapons at the Bryansk region of Russia, which is located about 75 miles north of the Ukrainian border, shortly after the public announcement that strikes would be permitted on November 18.
The Russians say that they destroyed 5 of the six weapons, with one weapon reach but not totally destroyed.  , That missile, according to the Russians, fell to the ground , and exploded, but caused little harm.  , The Ukrainian say that the missile , hit an ammunition depot and blew it up.
The Russians used their weather mechanisms, most importantly the S-400 and Pantsir.  , The S-400 has much variety, Pantsir was likely used to go after weapons that the S-400 did not catch.  ,  ,
ATACMS is a huge weapon. The US HIMARS launch system you just fire one ATACMS at once, which requires reloading after that.  , The weapon weighs 3, 690 weight and travels at a rate of around Mach 3 (2, 300 miles ), making it faster than regular flight soldiers.  ,  ,
In 2021 dollars an ATACMS missile costs$ 1.7 million, meaning that a replacement cost would be more than$ 2 million per copy.  , However, the US plans on replacing ATACMS with the Precision Strike Missile ( PrSM) which will have longer range.  , ATACMS may attain 190 miles. PrSM can travel 250 miles, which is a small price to pay because a new missile will cost more than$ 3 million per copy.  , Using AI-supported math ( just kidding ), replacing 6 missiles will cost US taxpayers$ 30 million or more.
The Biden administration uses ATACMS to thwart discussions between Ukraine and Russia, but the use of ATACMS is consciously controversial.  , Biden’s goal is to prolong the war and to make it difficult, or nearly but, for Trump to make a bargain.  ,  ,
How likely are ATACMS weapons to be in Ukraine? Perhaps not more than a couple of hundred, although there is no proved information.
Straight hand-left side issues are present in the current administration.  , Some in the leadership, particularly the State Department and elements in the CIA, reportedly want to change Zelensky in Ukraine with a more “democratic” head and began talks with the Russians. The management wants to worsen Trump and prolong the war. That explains the extraordinarily indifferent position taken yesterday regarding ATACMS’s usage against Russia.
However, it is well to keep in mind that the Europeans were briefed in advance about the Biden decision, which is why German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who heads a failed state, called Putin and, on the day of the common announcement of ATACMS approval, said Germany  , would hardly supply Taurus weapons to Ukraine, notwithstanding the US judgement on ATACMS.
The use of ATACMS wo n’t have a significant impact on the war, in terms of combating it. Indeed, the decision to attack targets in the Bryansk region rather than Kursk, where intense fighting is taking place, and where the administration insists North Koreans are fighting alongside Russian forces, highlights the fact that firing ATACMS has not, at least not yet, had anything to do with the conflict.  , Could the Bryansk attack be a warning to the Russians?  , Maybe, but wasting$ 30 million on a warning seems nonsensical.
The Russians, of course, have their own long-range missiles. They could be used just as easily as they are being used against targets in Ukraine, and they are. One would assume that Biden is aware of this and that he would anticipate a larger conflict and a subsequent NATO intervention in Ukraine.  , That is part of the White House calculus.
Russia’s ability to launch retaliation is uncertain at this time. There are plenty of good targets in Ukraine where the Russians could take a defensive line.  ,  ,
Trump’s nominated national security advisor, Mike Waltz, says that the Biden decision will not help Trump end the Ukraine war.  , Waltz , says that he was not briefed , by the Biden administration on the ATACMS decision, a breach of the normal protocol in which incoming officials are briefed on national security matters and often asked for their views.  , Biden and his people did neither, and on purpose.
Trump now has an excuse for allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles and other weapons with the assistance of NATO technicians and intelligence assets.
Although there are still many things that could possibly go wrong after January 20th, including the collapse of the Zelensky government and the defeat of Ukraine, there are still many things that could possibly go wrong.
Without speaking with Trump, it appears as though Biden will continue to pursue his interests. Biden’s promise of a smooth transition of government turns out to be dishonest and deceptive.
Stephen Bryen served as the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s staff director and its deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.  , This , article was first published on his , Substack newsletter Weapons and Strategy and is republished with permission.