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US president Joe Biden could be poised to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range British weapons deep inside of Russia.
The president is considering altering the long-held policy after confirming that Iran had supplied Russia with ballistic missiles that officials say could threaten not just Ukraine but the wider European continent.
When his administration was asked if that could impact their policy against Ukraine’s use of missiles deep inside of Russia, they responded that they were “working that out”.
David Lammy, the British foreign secretary, and his US counterpart Anthony Blinken are arriving in Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss the potential to lift these restrictions with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The US, UK and France have all supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine, capable of hitting targets hundreds of miles from the point of launch.
But while the UK and France have reportedly given the green light to Ukraine to launch these missiles deep inside mainland Russia, the US has remained hesitant over fears of a Russian reaction that could escalate the conflict. They are believed to be particularly concerned that Russia could respond by deploying nuclear weapons.
Given US weapons systems are key to the launch and navigation of all three models of missile, neither the French, British or US projectiles can be fired deeper into Russia without US approval.
"I think it’s a critical moment for Ukraine in the midst of what is an intense fall fighting season with Russia continuing to escalate its aggression," Mr Blinken said at a news conference with Mr Lammy in London before their Kyiv visit.
Mr Biden is also likely to discuss Ukraine’s use of missiles with prime minister Keir Starmer when they meet in Washington on Friday.
Reacting to the news that the US could lift the restrictions, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s Duma, the lower house of parliament, accused Washington and the UK of “becoming parties to the war in Ukraine”.
Mr Zelensky has repeatedly urged the West to supply more long-range missiles and lift restrictions on using them to hit targets inside Russian territory.
British government sources have been quoted as suggesting the US position of hesitancy is now shifting. CIA chief Bill Burns also hinted at a shift in Washington’s thinking during a visit to London last Saturday. Such permission from the US would be a big shift in Kyiv’s capabilities.
The UK has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of about 155 miles, while the US has provided it with ATACMS ballistic missiles with a range of 190 miles. The French have donated Scalp missiles.
Mr Blinken and Mr Lammy are visiting Kyiv a day after Russia reportedly received a shipment of 200 ballistic missiles from Iran.
The US and UK have denounced the move and unveiled new sanctions against Iran, including a ban on Iran Air passenger flights from British airspace.
“This development and the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran threatens European security and demonstrates how Iran’s destabilising influence reaches far beyond the Middle East,” the secretary of state declared.
He declined to confirm whether Washington will allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons inside Russia but said such a decision is informed by multiple factors.
"It’s not just the system itself that counts. You have to ask: can the Ukrainians effectively use it, and sometimes that requires significant training, which we’ve done. Do they have the ability to maintain it?" Mr Blinken said.
After Mr Blinken announced new sanctions for Iran, Andriy Yermak, Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff, praised the “positive step” but added: “We also need authorization to use Western weapons against military targets on Russian territory, the provision of longer-range missiles, and the enhancement of our air defense systems.”
