ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised US President Joe Biden’s recent decision to allow Ukraine to use American-made powerful Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to strike targets inside Russian territory and termed the move a “big mistake”.
The move to let Kyiv use the powerful US-made missiles represents a major US policy shift, sparking a furious response from Moscow which on Tuesday updated nuclear doctrine in a clear warning to Ukraine and the West.
Speaking on the broader implications of Biden’s move, Erdogan warned that such actions risk intensifying global tensions and escalating the Ukraine-Russia conflict into a larger catastrophe, Turkish public broadcaster TRT World reported on Wednesday.
“First and foremost, we neither find this decision correct nor do we approve of it,” Erdogan remarked, emphasising Turkiye’s consistent stance on peace.
“From the very start of the Ukraine-Russia war, we’ve maintained that more weapons, more blood, and more tears are not the solution. Instead, the conflict can only be resolved through greater efforts for peace, goodwill, and diplomacy,” Erdogan said as quoted by TRT World.
On Tuesday, Russia warned that it would respond after Ukraine fired longer-range US missiles at its territory for the first time. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already approved changes in the country’s nuclear doctrine. The revised nuclear policy allows Russia to consider any attack on its territory by a non-nuclear country supported by a nuclear power as a joint attack.
The move comes after the United States allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike military targets inside Russia, AFP reported.
Moscow said Ukraine fired six US-supplied longer-range missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region. A Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military posted a video Tuesday that it says shows US-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.
“This step by Mr. Biden will not only escalate the conflict but also provoke a significant response from Russia. President Putin has already approved a doctrine allowing for a nuclear response if his country faces ballistic missile attacks,” Erdogan said.
Turkish president criticised Biden’s alleged “scorched-earth” approach, saying, “The mentality of ‘after me, the flood’ leads nowhere. Both Ukraine and Russia must resist provocations, maintain calm, and focus on peace. Any misstep in this volatile atmosphere could be like throwing a spark into a powder keg.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian called for de-escalation of tensions. “Under the current situation, all parties should remain calm and exercise restraint, promoting de-escalation through dialogue and consultation to reduce strategic risks,” the spokesman said as quoted by Anadolu news agency.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman was responding to questions about Moscow adjusting its threshold to use nuclear weapons and Kyiv firing long-range missiles inside the Russian territory for the first time since the war began in February 2022.
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Lin Jian said that China’s position on the Ukraine crisis “is consistent and clear.” Beijing hopes “for all parties to promote de-escalation and commit to a political solution to the Ukraine crisis,” the spokesman said, adding that China will continue to “play a constructive role in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Spain’s embassy in Ukraine has decided to temporarily close its offices today, citing information on a possible major attack on Kyiv, according to Spain’s EFE news agency, after the US did the same earlier today.
The Greek embassy made a similar announcement, remaining shut to the public for the day. Italy’s embassy in Ukraine has also announced it will be closed today as a precaution, Al Jazeera reported.
