By Mary Beaudoin
Just when we believed that the terrible, grinding U.S./NATO proxy war in Ukraine was winding down, the Biden Administration surprised us with an escalation. On November 20, Ukraine fired six U.S. long-range ballistic missiles into Russia. These Made-in America weapons are called Army Tactical Missile Systems (their clever acronym, ATACMS, is pronounced “Attack ’em”, as though daring their use).
President Putin had warned in September that if NATO agreed to strikes deeper inside Russia, it’s at war. Russia revised its nuclear policy to say that even if non-nuclear states, when backed by nuclear states, fired long-range missiles inside Russia, it could trigger a nuclear response. Most people did not anticipate U.S./NATO taking the risk.
The expertise of U.S. personnel is required for the operation of ATACMS. The Washington Post reported that the U.S. and its European allies maintain the coordinates to fire them. Former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter concludes, as Putin warned, that “the decision to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles in Kursk leaves no doubt that the U.S. is a direct party to the invasion and occupation of Russian soil by NATO-proxy Ukrainian forces. In short, the U.S. is now at war with Russia.”
Joining the escalation, Ukraine fired a barrage of its British-French long range Storm Shadow/ SCALP cruise missiles striking inside Russia. Thus, both the U.S. and its NATO subordinates are directly involved in attacks within Russia.
Russia did not respond with nuclear weapons but had a surprise of its own — a new kind of fearsome intermediate-range missile (thankfully, not carrying nuclear weapons this time), the Oreshnik, which it tested by firing into Ukraine as a message.
With things escalating, we should not forget that in 2026, the U.S. already planned to have conventional intermediate-range missiles in Germany that could reach Russia. The U.S. also maintains, in five European countries, tactical weapons that it is currently modernizing. Political leaders have talked recklessly about the use of nuclear weapons, and the U.S. doesn’t have a No-First-Use nuclear policy, meaning it could make a pre-emptive nuclear attack.
Ritter and former CIA senior analyst Ray McGovern, along with another member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, Coleen Rowley, assert that we are now uniquely in danger of imminent nuclear war.
Our country is doubling down on hegemonic dominance through military might, in addition to economic muscle (sanctions) as its way of interacting in the world while power shifts to the Global South and begins to evade U.S. control. The U.S. approach of refusing to cooperate and share power in the world is disastrous, causing death and destruction wherever it goes. Not only did it sacrifice Ukraine by waging war, it failed in its strategic purpose of wearing down and weakening Russia, regarded as a competitor, and, as an unintended consequence, succeeded in wearing down and weakening European countries instead.
Within the U.S., hope lies in the power of people acting together. At this time, when it’s needed more than ever, we can build a broad anti-nuclear and peace movement. There is much to build on because people are aware of many issues and already have experience with action. Rallies to protect Native lands and immigrant rights persist. Systemic, racist police killings like George Floyd’s and the horror of genocide in Gaza awakened the conscience of the public. New energy comes from youth, students, and young families who have been raising their refreshing voices in the streets, on campuses, and in creative ways, joining long-time activists. Washington hawks say they are unduly influenced by Russian bots and Chinese TikTok. But what really worries the censurers is that these young people are seeing what systems of global domination and domestic oppression do and they want change.
⸺ Mary Beaudoin edits the newsletter for Women Against Military Madness, whose mission is to oppose U.S. militarism and involvement in wars.
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