British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in Washington for crucial talks with US President Joe Biden regarding the potential use of Western-supplied missiles by Ukraine to target Russian territory. The meeting follows ongoing discussions about Western military support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently warned that allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles would escalate the conflict, potentially drawing Western nations directly into the war. Putin emphasized that such a decision could fundamentally change the scope of the conflict.
These high-level talks come after a recent fact-finding mission to Kyiv by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, where both allies reaffirmed their support for Ukraine. However, no final decision was made regarding missile use.
David Lammy suggested that discussions on the issue could extend beyond Friday, dampening expectations for a definitive announcement from Starmer’s visit to Washington.
Prime Minister Starmer, while en route to Washington, acknowledged the importance of these talks, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continuing his push for access to Western long-range missiles, such as US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow, to strike deep into Russian territory. Zelenskyy has long argued that these weapons are crucial to limiting Russia’s ability to carry out further attacks.
Reports from The New York Times, citing European officials, suggest that the US may approve Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles against Russia, as long as they are not American-supplied weapons. However, a concrete decision is yet to be reached.
Starmer emphasized that the focus of these talks is to ensure all decisions align with a broader strategic framework, rather than arriving at isolated conclusions.
