UK Foreign Secretary on allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons in Russia: ”Time for nerve and guts”
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has hinted at ongoing negotiations with the White House regarding Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has indicated that delicate negotiations with the White House to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia are ongoing, arguing it was a time for “nerve and guts.”
As reported by The Guardian, the apparent encouragement to Joe Biden comes just over a week after Lammy and Keir Starmer visited the US president in the White House but failed to resolve the sticking point between two countries.
Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour party conference in Liverpool, Lammy said the hardship and challenges of the war in Ukraine would get “deeper and harsher”, particularly heading into “the back end of 2025 into 2026” and beyond.
“So this is a critical time for nerve and guts and patience and for fortitude on behalf of allies who stand with Ukraine,” he said in comments that appeared directed at a hesitant White House, concerned about the risks of allowing Storm Shadow missiles to be used to attack Russia.
Lammy emphasized that Ukraine and its Western allies were discussing “what more might be necessary” to help Kyiv on the battlefield beyond trying to hold the frontline, which is under acute pressure in the east.
“I am not going to as foreign secretary, of course, comment on operational details, because that can only aid Putin,” Lammy said, in an apparent reference to Storm Shadow missiles. “But there is a very real-time discussion across allies about how we can support Ukraine as we head into winter.”
President of Ukraine Voldymyr Zelenskyy called on Biden again on Saturday to allow Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes inside Russia. His plea came before a critical meeting between the two on 26 September at the UN general assembly in New York. The issue, he added, remained unresolved despite Starmer lobbying Biden in person nine days ago.
Zelenskyy wants to be able to use British, French and Italian Storm Shadow missiles, as well as US-made ATACMS to hit airbases and other military targets inside Russia. He has argued that the Kremlin could be motivated to seek peace if it was clear that Ukraine could strike targets closer to Moscow.
The UK has donated Storm Shadow missiles from its stocks, but its European partners and the US need to give their permission for Ukraine use them on Russian soil. The weapons also rely on a US guidance system to evade Russian jamming, without which they risk being ineffective if launched.
Related:
- CNN: Zelenskyy says long-range weapons ban lift key part of his “Victory Plan”
- Stoltenberg urges increased weapons support for Ukraine in NATO farewell speech
- European Parliament urges member states to allow Ukraine to hit military targets in Russia
- Stoltenberg: Each NATO ally to decide on Ukraine’s use of missiles in Russia
- Former UK officials push for unilateral approval for Ukraine’s long-range missile use in Russia
- Politico: Biden deliberates on Ukraine’s missile use in Russia as nuclear plants face rising threats
