Biden and Ukraine's leadership placing faith in Starmer
Discussions between American President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington didn't result in a conclusion regarding the authorization of Ukraine to employ Western long-range weapons on Russian soil. Starmer shared with journalists at the White House that he had a wide-ranging talk on strategy with Biden, but it wasn't focused on a particular capability.
Before the meeting, anticipation was high that Starmer would urge Biden to allow the UK to distribute Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, enabling them to strike deeper into Russian territory.
"The upcoming weeks and months could hold significant importance," Starmer mentioned at the outset of the meeting. "It's of utmost importance that we back Ukraine in this crucial battle for freedom."
"Lift all obstacles"
Ukraine's administration has been pushing Western allies steadily to permit the deployment of Western long-range weapons for strikes on Russian military targets. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasized the importance of "eliminating all limitations on the employment of American and British weapons against lawful military targets in Russia."
British media reported that Biden, concerned about a nuclear conflict, is open to letting Ukraine utilize British and French rockets equipped with US technology - though not US-manufactured rockets themselves.
Weapons from Germany are not a part of this consideration, as per the German government. Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit expressed in Berlin that the current debate revolves around arms that Germany hasn't supplied. The weapons under discussion are "different in quality" from those provided by Germany to Ukraine and have a longer range.
Despite the lack of concrete decision about Ukraine's authorization to use Western long-range weapons on Russian soil during Biden and Starmer's discussions, the British Prime Minister reiterated his support for Ukraine, saying, "We must lift all obstacles to aid Ukraine in this fight for freedom." Later, news reports suggested that Biden was considering allowing Ukraine to utilize British and French rockets armed with US technology.
