UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the BBC during a visit to Kyiv that Western-supplied long-range missiles would be used against targets within Russia.
Lammy traveled to the Ukrainian capital with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken following talks in London.
They met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has frequently urged allies to lift restrictions on the use of Western-supplied weapons.
For fear of escalation, the United States and the United Kingdom have refused to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles against targets within Russia.
US President Joe Biden has stated that his government is considering easing the limitations, although no decision has yet been made public.
On Wednesday, Zelensky stated that Kyiv’s triumph in the fight against Russia is “largely dependent on US support.”
According to Lammy, Iran’s provision of ballistic missiles to Russia “clearly changes the debate” because it would allow Moscow’s forces “to have further penetration into Ukraine.”
“That is very dangerous,” Lammy warned. She continued: “As we see the Russians working with their partners, we see this transfer of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia; it is important that we do more to support Ukraine to win in their efforts.”
Lammy stated that the UK would send £600 million ($780 million) in aid to Ukraine to meet the country’s “humanitarian, energy, and stabilisation needs.”
Blinken stated that he and Lammy will “hear directly from the Ukrainian leadership” about their “objectives and what we can do to meet those needs.”
The US, UK, France, and Germany have placed further sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine. The UK government summoned Iran’s senior envoy over the allegations.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal praised Lammy for the UK’s military assistance to Ukraine throughout the conflict.
He did say, however: “We hope that long-range equipment for strikes on the territory of our enemy will be reached and we will have it, and we hope for your help and support in this issue.”
The idea will be scrutinised further when UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets with Biden at the White House on Friday.
When asked by reporters on Tuesday if the US would ease limits on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles, President Biden said his administration was “working that out now.”.
Earlier this year, the US relaxed some of the restrictions, allowing Ukraine to utilize long-range missiles to target regions along Russia’s border where troops are firing from.
Kyiv’s other partners have also started delivering certain long-range missiles, with restrictions on how and when they can be deployed within Russia due to concerns that such strikes will inspire retaliation, drawing Nato countries into the fight or sparking a nuclear confrontation.
The Kremlin stated on Wednesday that Russia would respond “appropriately” if the US permitted Ukrainian missile strikes on its territory.
During a visit to the United Kingdom prior to his trip to Kyiv, Blinken accused Iran of sending short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, claiming they might be deployed against Ukrainians within weeks. Lammy criticized Iran’s move as “a significant and dangerous escalation.”
The missiles are anticipated to strengthen Russia’s arsenal, allowing it to strike Ukrainian cities close to its borders or territories it already controls while deploying longer-range missiles deeper into Ukrainian territory.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that his country was sending missiles to Russia, accusing Western countries of “acting on faulty intelligence and flawed logic.”.
The UK has delivered Ukraine Storm Shadow missiles with a range of around 250 kilometers (155 miles). So far, they’ve only been used against Russian targets on seized Ukrainian territory.
However, Ukrainian commanders claim they require the missiles to target air sites from which Russian airplanes launch destructive glide bombs against Ukraine. These weapons are frequently launched from deep within Russian territory.
