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A Cabinet minister stressed Britain was giving “full backing” to Ukraine as America allowed Kyiv to fire West-supplied long-range missiles into Russia.
France is also backing the move, according to a report from Paris, after it emerged from Washington that Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use US-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia after months of pleading from Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ahead of an EU meeting in Brussels, French foreign affairs minister Jean-Noel Barrot said: "We openly said this was an option that we would consider if it was to allow to strike a target from where Russia is currently aggressing Ukrainian territory.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: “The decision from the American side, and I would like to emphasise that this is not a rethink but an intensification of what has already been delivered by other partners, is so important at this moment.”
But Mr Biden has not given consent for British Storm Shadow long-range missiles, which use US navigational data, to be launched into Russia, according to The Sun, as they have a longer range than the US ATACMS missiles.
The Kremlin said the move by Washington was adding fuel to the fire and seeking to escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
The outgoing US President’s decision could see long-range missiles used initially in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian troops seized a swathe of territory in a surprise attack in the summer.
It may be partly in response to thousands of North Korean troops joining Putin’s war against Ukraine.
The use of ATACMS, and possibly at some point Storm Shadows and Scalp missiles, supplied by the US, UK and France respectively, could slow Russian grinding advances in eastern Ukraine and attempts to recapture the part of Kursk currently held by Ukrainian forces.
If this happened it would put Ukraine in a stronger position, than if it lost more land, when Donald Trump becomes US president in January having claimed he can end the conflict within a day, which would required Kyiv giving up some territory to Russia.
It is the second time the US has permitted the use of Western weapons inside Russian territory within limits after permitting the use of HIMARS systems, a shorter-range weapon, to stem Russia's advance in Ukraine's Kharkiv region in May.
“We remain steadfast in our support to the Ukrainian people almost 1,000 days into this conflict,” Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson told Sky News on Monday.
“They have suffered unimaginable hardship and loss and have made extraordinary sacrifice.
“The Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary will always keep under review what the Ukrainian people and their military require and going into the G20 the Prime Minister has set out very clearly that the Ukrainian people and President Zelensky have our full backing.”
Mr Zelensky has been urging America for months to allow his forces to fire West missiles deep into Russia to hit airbases being used by planes launching “glide bombs” onto towns and cities in Ukraine with devastating impacts.
Britain has been at the forefront in stepping up the type of weapons being supplied to Kyiv.
But the UK government wanted to keep a united position on long range missiles, rather than going ahead with consent without agreement from Washington and because the missiles use American navigation data.
Le Figaro newspaper reported that France and the UK have given consent for use of their Scalp and Storm Shadow missiles.
This has not been confirmed by either the French or British governments.
Pressed about the report in Le Figaro, Ms Phillipson told LBC Radio: “I’m not in a position to speculate ahead of any announcement that the Government might make in this area, that’s not for me as Education Secretary to do.
“Any changes that do take place will be announced by the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary in the usual way.”
Mr Zelensky has argued that he is effectively being forced to fight with his hands tied because he cannot hit the bases Mr Putin is using to launch air attacks against his country.
He is stressing that “long-range capabilities” were a key part of his “victory plan”.
“There’s been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take relative actions,” he said.
“But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.”
As he headed to a G20 summit in Brazil, Sir Keir Starmer said “we need to double down” on support for Ukraine and the issue was “top” of his agenda at this week’s gathering.
In Ukraine, two children were among 11 people killed when a Russian missile hit a residential building in the northeastern city of Sumy, officials said, while another missile strike left the region's administrative centre without power.
Eighty-nine people, including 11 children, were also injured in the attack on the city late on Sunday, Ukraine's state emergency service said.
The attack on Sumy followed a morning of Russia pounding Ukraine's power grid in what Kyiv said was a "massive" attack with 120 missiles and 90 drones that killed at least seven people.
Russia's air defence units destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two heading towards Moscow, Russia's defence ministry said on Monday.
