UK still thinking whether to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles  to strike targets in Russia

David Lammy, UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has said that the UK continues to assess Ukraine’s request to deploy British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike military targets in Russia.

Source: David Lammy in an interview with European Pravda

Details: Lammy was asked whether Ukraine can deploy Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian military airfields located further away from the Ukrainian-Russian border.

"I've heard what Mr Zelenskyy has said. He's shared some views with us that we're reflecting on further. And as I said, I support Ukraine's right to self-defence now even more, because of that brutal attack on a children's hospital a few days ago," Lammy said in response.

The European Pravda interviewer said that the US limited the use of its weapons to strike targets in Russia to areas near the border, and asked Lammy whether the UK might allow the use of its missiles further afield.

"I can't comment on the United States. But for the UK, we have had discussions with Mr. Zelensky over the course of the last few days, and we've undertaken to go away and look at some other things. But I'm not going to get into operational decisions for very, very good and serious reasons," Lammy replied.

Later on in the interview, he made it clear that he shares the position of Ukraine’s other partners who oppose excessive caution due to fear of escalation because delays in supplying Ukraine with certain types of weapons make them less effective on the battlefield.

"Putin poses a systemic risk to European security. And that's why we have to be steadfast in our support across the whole of the NATO family. If we allow dictators and authoritarian leaders to invade their smaller neighbours, and if Putin wins this battle, then I'm afraid the security of the whole global community is at risk," Lammy stressed.

Background:

• The UK’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, said that it was Ukraine's call on how to use the Storm Shadow missiles provided by the UK, which some pundits have interpreted as permission to use these missiles to hit military targets inside Russia.
• On 10 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he "learned about the permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military targets on Russian territory" and discussed this with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during their first meeting.
• The UK government later explained that it has not yet given Ukraine any authorisation to fire Storm Shadow missiles against targets on Russian territory, despite statements by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that lead many to believe otherwise.

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