The United Kingdom has reportedly made a decision to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow cruise missiles against targets in Russian territory, according to sources from The Guardian. This significant development, however, is not expected to be publicly announced, likely to avoid unnecessary provocation. Concurrently, the United States is considering similar permissions for its ATACMS missiles, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinting at potential policy adaptations.These developments coincide with a joint visit to Kyiv by Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who reaffirmed their countries’ unwavering support for Ukraine. The UK has pledged an additional £600 million (approximately $780 million) in military aid, while the US announced $717 million in new economic and humanitarian assistance.The potential relaxation of restrictions on long-range strikes has raised concerns from Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned of an ‘appropriate’ response if such permissions are granted. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that the plan to counter Russia ‘depends mainly’ on US support and ‘other partner countries’.Despite these developments, both the US and UK officials have been cautious in their public statements. Blinken stated that he would ‘take that discussion back to Washington to brief the president’, while Lammy emphasized the need to avoid giving any advantage to Russia through public disclosures.As the conflict continues, the international community watches closely. The decision to potentially allow long-range strikes into Russian territory marks a significant shift in Western support for Ukraine, with far-reaching implications for the ongoing conflict and international relations.
Key points
- The UK has reportedly decided to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets, but this decision is not expected to be publicly announced.
- The US is considering similar permissions for ATACMS missiles, with Secretary of State Blinken hinting at potential policy adaptations.
- Both the UK and US have pledged significant new aid packages to Ukraine, reaffirming their support.
- Russia has warned of an ‘appropriate’ response if long-range strike permissions are granted.
Contradictions👾While some sources indicate that the UK has decided to allow the use of Storm Shadow missiles in Russian territory, other reports suggest that the UK’s position on using these missiles has not changed.
👾There are conflicting reports about whether the decision to allow long-range strikes was a precondition for the visit of Blinken and Lammy to Kyiv, or if the purpose of the visit was to discuss Ukraine’s strategy before granting such permissions.
