On Sunday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Ukraine has already started firing US-provided weapons on Russian territory following President Joe Biden's approval to do so.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO member nations that they should realize "what they are playing with" by allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike Russian territory. Putin also said Russia will use all means at its disposal if the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened.
Russia also asked for a meeting of the UN Security Council to be held on June 14 to discuss the West's approval for Kiev to use their weapons on Russian territory.
US Pushing Dangerous Escalation
Jeffrey Sachs, a world-renowned economist and president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, told Sputnik that Washington's decision is a dangerous escalation.
"This is yet another escalation. It is dangerous," Sachs said. "The only sane course is Russia-US negotiation, based on ending the US plan for NATO enlargement to Ukraine, establishing Ukraine’s neutrality, ending the war, and settling other pending issues."
Sachs further said that establishing Ukraine as a neutral state would resolve the crisis and save vast numbers of lives.
"This entire conflict could have been and should have been avoided, based on neutrality, collective security, and mutual respect," Sachs said.
Former Iranian Ambassador to Germany Seyed Hossein Mousavian said Biden's decision is in line with the West's strategy to prolong the conflict in Ukraine, and the consequences of this policy will not contribute to international peace and security.
"Unfortunately, there is no credible international initiative to end the Ukraine war, and the strategy of NATO member countries is based on prolonging this war," Mousavian told Sputnik.
Mousavian suggests that the conflict in Ukraine could be resolved through an international peace initiative that prohibits NATO from expanding its territory to Russian borders and holds free elections under UN supervision in territories gained by Russia in Ukraine.
"The majority vote will determine the fate of these territories," Mousavian said.
Ex-US Officials Expect no Escalation
Former American officials who support the US decision do not expect it could lead to an escalation. They claim it could pave the path to new Ukraine peace talks.
However, Russia has repeatedly shown an interest in participating in fair negotiations that take into account Moscow's serious security concerns, including NATO's expansion to its border. Russian officials have made several attempts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine through meetings with key Western nations.
Former US ambassador-at-large to the Soviet Union Stephen Sestanovich told Sputnik that Biden's decision was a "necessary step" to respond to the scale of Russia's special military operation.
Russia made gains on the battlefield in Ukraine amid a months-long delay in the United States for new Ukraine aid funding.
Sestanovich added that he thinks there's a risk Russia could ramp up its military operation in Ukraine in light of the US decision, but he does not expect Russia intends to expand its operations beyond the country's borders.
"NATO’s leaders, including President Biden, have made it clear they want to avoid such an expansion of the war," Sestanovich said, adding that Russia’s leaders have the same desire.
Charles Kupchan, a former Europe expert at the White House National Security Council, told Sputnik that the Biden administration's decision is "a good one" with low chances of escalation.
"I think the chances of escalation are low," Kupchan said. "Enhancing Ukraine's ability to defend itself is critical to ending the war."
Kupchan was part of a group of former US national security officials that met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York in April 2023 to discuss matters related to Ukraine.
Kupchan noted that Russia will not easily give up its goal of steering Ukraine away from the West.
US officials have declined to confirm to Sputnik whether US bombs are already falling on Russian territory, but they reiterate that Ukraine "understands" that its use of US weapons on Russian territory is only for limited defensive strikes just across Russia's border. US policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long range strikes inside Russia has not changed, according to US officials.