No new pledge on Ukraine missiles after Starmer-Biden talks

WASHINGTON: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer did not signal any decision on allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles to hit targets inside Russia after talks with US President Joe Biden in Washington.

When asked if he had persuaded Biden to allow Ukraine to fire long-range Storm Shadow missiles into Russia, Sir Keir said they had had “a long and productive discussion on a number of fronts, including Ukraine, as you would expect, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific”.

The White House said they also expressed “deep concern about Iran and North Korea’s provision of lethal weapons to Russia”.

Earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western nations not to let Ukraine fire long-range missiles at Russia. Putin said such a move would represent Nato’s “direct participation” in the Ukraine war.

Addressing reporters ahead of his meeting with Sir Keir at the White House, Biden said: “I don’t think much about Vladimir Putin”.

To date, the US and UK have not given Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, for fear of escalation.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Kyiv’s Western allies to authorise such use, saying it is the only way to bring about an end to the war.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian cities and front lines have been under daily bombardment from Russia.

Many of the missiles and glide bombs that hit Ukraine’s military positions, blocks of flats, energy facilities and hospitals are launched by Russian aircraft deep inside Russia.

Kyiv says not being allowed to hit the bases from which these attacks are launched hinders its self-defence capability.

The UK previously said Ukraine had a “clear right” to use British-provided weapons for “self-defence” which “does not preclude operations inside Russia”, following Kyiv’s surprise cross-border incursion last month.