In a major policy shift, Biden authorized the use of US weapons against military installations in Russia. A State Department spokesperson insisted that the authorization was limited to what they called "counter-fire purposes" in Kharkov region. The US has not authorized the use of long-range missiles, including ATACMS, inside Russia, the spokesperson told Sputnik on Thursday.
"This will not change the ultimate outcome of the conflict, which Russia is destined to win," Rasmussen said.
"What it will do is encourage Russia to expand the buffer zone that has been discussed and to potentially directly strike US and other NATO facilities supporting these actions."
While the Pentagon most likely was trying to limit the shift, recent statements by former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and Secretary Antony Blinken clearly showed that there was strong lobbying going on in the background to change the US position, Rasmussen observed.
"It is possible that secretly Ukraine was allowed already or at least Western intelligence and targeting information has likely been used on earlier strikes," he said. "Yes, it is an escalation and most likely Russia will counter in some way."
US policy makers continue to blunder forward with ever more dangerous decisions which unfortunately will likely end in a direct conflict or potentially worse, Rasmussen warned.
"Such decisions show that there are major influencers strongly seeking major escalation. Moreover, many of the political leaders are heavily politically committed for some reason to Project Ukraine and refuse to accept that it is a failure and would rather destroy their own countries and world than accept reality," he said.
Rasmussen noted that he has mentioned for several years that "we are moving down a dangerous path. That path is not getting any safer, if anything it is becoming more treacherous."
As situations continue to escalate in the Middle East and Asia, history will not look favorably on the current group of Western leaders as they lead their countries into the abyss, Rasmussen said.
Russia is thus forced to create a buffer zone because of Ukraine's continued deadly shelling of Belgorod, he warned.