LONDON : A group of former UK defence ministers and ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson have called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russian territory, even without US backing.
The Sunday Times reports that five former Conservative defence secretaries – Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt, and Liam Fox – joined forces with Boris Johnson to urge Starmer to take action. They warned that any further delay would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been begging allies for months to let Ukraine fire Western-made missiles, including long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, deep into Russia to limit Moscow’s ability to launch attacks.
Starmer and US President Joe Biden held talks in Washington on Friday to discuss the possibility of allowing Kyiv to use the long-range missiles against targets in Russia. However, no decision was announced.
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Some US officials are skeptical about whether allowing Ukraine to use these missiles would make a significant difference in the war against Russian invaders. Meanwhile, Putin has warned that if the West allows Ukraine to strike with Western-made long-range missiles, it would be equivalent to directly fighting Russia.
The call from UK leaders comes as the war in Ukraine continues to rage on, with both sides suffering heavy losses. The international community is watching closely as Starmer and Biden weigh their options.