Five former defense secretaries and a former prime minister have recommended Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use its long-range Storm Shadow missiles to attack strategic military targets on Russian territory. And to do so even without waiting for US support. Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt, Liam Fox y Boris Johnson They have warned the premier Labour’s view that any further delay would embolden Vladimir PutinWallace said failure to act now would turn Britain into a Kremlin appeaser. Williamson, for his part, called it dereliction of duty. Johnson was also adamant: There is no conceivable case for delay.
Starmer flew to Washington on Friday to meet the US president Joe Biden and discuss the requests of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskywhich is desperately seeking the green light from its allies to use the British-made missiles. But the meeting ended without an agreement.
Pressure on Britain and the US to allow the use of Storm Shadow missiles has been mounting after it was leaked last week that Russia had received new ballistic missiles from Iran for use in Ukraine. The row over whether Western missiles can be used to attack targets across the Ukrainian border comes on top of similar delays over decisions on the supply of tanks and fighter jets.
Leading the chorus of voices calling for Britain to act unilaterally is Conservative Grant Shapps, the immediate predecessor of the current Defence Secretary, John Healey. Rather than waiting for formal US approval, Sir Keir needs to provide President Zelensky with what is desperately needed today. This is how we assumed our position of global leadership in supporting Ukraine. We acted. Others followed. And this is the kind of leadership that is needed again for Ukraine today, Shapps said.
Wallace added that the UK was in danger of being left behind in the pack of appeasers and dilators, when the only real way to stand up to a bully like Putin was to be strong, united and determined to see it through. Both he and Williamson believe that Britain must maintain its leading role in supporting Ukraine. “Britain’s leadership from the start was vital in galvanising the international response,” Wallace said. “We were the first in Europe to provide lethal weapons and we have continued to support Ukraine throughout.”
Williamson added: “From the start of this war, the UK has not hesitated to take the lead in stepping up when others have hesitated. Starmer needs to show that same leadership and determination. Not to do so would be a dereliction of duty.”
According to British media reports, the 90-minute White House talks were very open about the options before us. But it can be revealed that Biden and his team indicated they wanted to take a waiting period until Zelensky had presented his victory plan, before giving their approval to strikes inside Russia.