Is the war in Ukraine escalating or headed toward an endgame? | Christopher S Chivvis

Allowing Ukraine to use US Atacms missiles for deep strikes may be worth the risk if it hastens negotiations

It seems like the war in Ukraine is on the brink of escalating to a new level. North Korean troops have joined Russia on the battlefield, Ukraine is striking deep into Russian territory with US-provided weapons, and the Kremlin is yet again making nuclear threats. These developments intensify the sense that this war could spiral out of control. Paradoxically, however, they may also help usher in its end.

In October, North Korea added 11,000 troops to the battlefield on Russia's side. The Biden administration said this were an unacceptable escalation. Over the weekend, it approved Ukraine's use of US-provided missiles for long-range strikes into Russia. Russia responded with a new and more threatening nuclear doctrine that says it might use its nuclear arsenal against a non-nuclear country - a not-so-thinly veiled threat to Ukraine.

Christopher S Chivvis is a senior fellow and director of the Carnegie Endowment's American statecraft program