London (Parliament Politics Magzine) – Former PM Boris Johnson has urged PM Sir Keir Starmer to shatter the impasse over allowing Ukraine to shoot long-range missiles into Russia – cautioning that every day’s delay is costing lives.
British Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been insisted by former defence secretaries and an ex-premier to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russian territory even without U.S. support, the Sunday Times reported. Speaking after a visit to battle casualties in Kyiv, the former prime minister expressed frustration that discussions between Sir Keir and US President Joe Biden in Washington had failed to sanction the usage of Storm Shadow missiles against Vladimir Putin‘s forces.
Why Johnson believes swift approval of missiles could save lives
Mr Johnson stated:
‘It is heartbreaking to visit wounded veterans in recovery centres – as I have in Kyiv this weekend – where Ukrainian heroes are being treated for the injuries they have suffered in the past few months, and to think that some of these casualties could have been avoided if we had given Storm Shadow permissions earlier. There is no conceivable case for delay. The only person who fears escalation is Vladimir Putin, and every day that goes by is a lost opportunity to save lives and bring about a just conclusion to this war.’
What’s at Stake in the UK and US Decision on Long-Range Missiles for Ukraine?
The usefulness of Storm Shadow missiles, as well as US-made ATACMS, was a critical topic discussed during a summit in Washington between Sir Keir and President Biden, but no decision was reported. The use of Storm Shadows relies on US cooperation to be fully effective.
The ex-defence secretaries’ intervention comes amid intensified concern that Russia provided nuclear secrets to Iran in trade for ballistic missiles for its Ukraine war.
If verified, such a deal would be especially problematic as Tehran is advancing its programme of uranium enrichment – a grade towards developing a nuclear weapon. Ukraine’s Western allies have argued that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia and the weapons would likely be employed in the war against Ukraine in the coming weeks. The United States, Britain, France and Germany struck Tehran with more sanctions, criticising its “escalatory” move.