UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently had a “productive” meeting with US President Joe Biden focusing on Ukraine. While they discussed overall strategy, no new decisions were made regarding Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles into Russia.
During their talks, both leaders expressed serious concerns over Iran and North Korea supplying lethal weapons to Russia. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported over 70 Iranian-made drones being launched across Ukraine, emphasizing the need for enhanced air defense and long-range capabilities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautioned Western nations against allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia, suggesting such actions would imply NATO’s direct involvement in the conflict. Despite Putin’s threats, former UK Defense Secretary Sir Ben Wallace argued on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that NATO should allow Ukraine to use such missiles.
Further, Kurt Volker, former US special representative for Ukraine negotiations, dismissed Putin’s comments as a tactic to deter the West from taking action. He critiqued the US for exaggerating the provocativeness of Ukraine using long-range missiles.
At a briefing before his meeting with Sir Keir, President Biden casually dismissed concerns about Putin’s intentions. To date, neither the US nor the UK has authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, fearing escalation.
Zelensky continues to urge Western allies for authorization to use these missiles, claiming it’s essential for ending the war. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian cities have faced daily bombardments, with many attacks launched from deep inside Russia. Kyiv argues that not allowing them to target these bases severely limits their self-defense capabilities.
Despite the ongoing debates, the UK maintains that Ukraine has the right to use British-provided weapons for self-defense, including operations inside Russia, but this excludes long-range Storm Shadow missiles.
The US has supplied Ukraine with long-range missiles earlier this year, but like other Western allies, has restricted their use against deep Russian targets. Amidst these strategic discussions, Sir Keir emphasized that the ultimate resolution in Ukraine depends on Putin’s actions.
The discussions between Sir Keir and Biden also covered the ongoing Middle East conflicts and other global issues, with further talks expected at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.
In related developments, the US has imposed new sanctions against the Russian media channel RT, accusing it of acting as an intelligence arm for Russia and attempting to undermine US democracy.
