A senior military analyst has warned that US President Joe Biden must "stop going up the escalation ladder" in Ukraine following what he calls "a very alarming development" in the conflict.
Lt Daniel Davis told GBN America that recent developments, including Biden's authorisation for Ukraine to use American long-range weapons inside Russia, are part of a dangerous pattern of escalation.
"Both sides are going up. No one seems to be wanting to come down," Davis said.
His comments come as Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, marking the first reported use of such a weapon in the war.
The missile, fired from Astrakhan region, caused fires and injured two people in Dnipro.
Putin warned Moscow could use such weapons against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Lt Daniel Davis urged Starmer and Biden to take a step back from the conflict
PA / REUTERS
The Russian leader had previously stated in September that Western long-range weapons would be regarded as "direct participation" in the conflict.
Davis expressed particular concern about the use of Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles inside Russian territory.
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"So far, the Storm Shadow and the ATACMS missiles apparently have not caused any serious damage. They have not hit their targets," Davis noted.
He warned that if these Western-supplied missiles begin to cause damage or kill Russian troops, Putin may escalate further.
Lt Daniel Davis spoke on GBN America
GBN AMERICA
The situation has already impacted markets, with defence firms Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems seeing gains amid rising tensions.
The White House has pushed back against escalation concerns, stating Russia is responsible for intensifying the conflict "at every turn."
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre pointed to Moscow's deployment of North Korean troops as evidence of "desperation."
"They are now seeing high casualties, and so now what they're doing is turning to DPRK to supply them soldiers," she said.
Putin is the leader of Russia GETTY Western intelligence services believe at least 10,000 North Korean troops are being deployed by Russia.
Davis concluded with a stark warning about the potential for NATO involvement through Article Five.
"If we continue firing Storm Shadow and attack those missiles and they actually cause damage inside of Russia...Putin may do the next rung up that ladder and strike against Western assets outside of Ukraine," he told GBN America.
"Then we have a significant risk of Article Five escalation, and God only knows where it could go from there," he cautioned.
