Drums of War: Biden preparing for war with Russia, closes its embassy in Kyiv

US President Joe Biden’s permission to Ukraine to strike Russia with its long-range missiles ATACMS before handing over power to his successor Trump, and in response to Russian President Putin’s activation of the new nuclear war doctrine where Russia will be able to respond with nuclear weapons to missiles, drones, and air strikes, have started to sound the drums of war. The US Embassy in Kyiv announced on Wednesday that it has temporarily suspended its activities.

Following the developments that escalated tensions, the US closed its Kyiv embassy against the possibility of an air attack. Washington’s decision was interpreted as preparation for war.

Following Russia’s recent massive airstrikes on Ukraine, the drums of war continue to beat loudly.

Despite warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US gave Ukraine permission to use ATACMS missiles, and Ukraine launched attacks on Russian territory with these missiles.

Putin has made it clear that Ukraine will respond to attacks on Russian territory with US-made weapons. Russian leaders have been warning for some time that any missiles made by the US, UK, or France launched deep into Russia by Ukraine would be considered a direct NATO intervention in the war.

Following these developments, Russian President Putin toughened his doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons and lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons against conventional attacks.

According to the New Nuclear Doctrine, Putin will be able to respond with nuclear weapons to missiles, drones, and air strikes. On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would give a heavy response to Ukraine’s ATACMS attack.

According to PBS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday referred media to a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, in which he said allowing Ukraine to target Russia would significantly raise the stakes in the conflict.

It would change “the very nature of the conflict dramatically,” Putin said at the time. “This will mean that NATO countries — the United States and European countries — are at war with Russia.”

Peskov claimed that Western countries supplying long-range weapons also provide targeting services to Kyiv. “This fundamentally changes the modality of their involvement in the conflict,” Dmitry Peskov said.

The US Embassy in Kyiv announced on Wednesday that it has temporarily suspended its activities after receiving information about a possible Russian airstrike. The US State Department has instructed embassy staff to shelter in place and warned US citizens in Ukraine to be ready to take shelter in the event of an attack.