Blinken and Lammy in Kyiv amid calls to allow strikes deep into Russia
Thomas Mackintosh
BBC News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy have arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit as Ukraine continues to press for the right to use US and British long-range missiles against Russia.
The two men travelled together to the Ukrainian capital after talks in London. They are due to meet President Volodymr Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on Washington to loosen the limits on US-supplied weapons.
Blinken said one of their goals was to “hear directly from the Ukrainian leadership” about their “objectives and what we can do to support those needs”.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said his administration was “working” on whether to lift the restrictions.
The policy will come under further scrutiny when UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets President Biden at the White House on Friday.
Ukrainian officials have said the restrictions have left them fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion with their hands tied.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia would respond “appropriately” if the US were to allow Ukrainian missile strikes on its territory.
During his visit to the UK, Blinken accused Iran of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, saying they could be deployed against Ukrainians within weeks. Lammy described Iran’s move as “a significant and dangerous escalation”.
The missiles are likely to boost Russia’s arsenal, enabling it to hit Ukrainian cities close to Russia’s borders or areas it already controls at the same time as it deploys its longer-range missiles deeper into Ukrainian territory.
Iran has repeatedly denied supplying such self-guided weapons to Russia.
The ability to use long-range weapons against Russian targets would allow Kyiv to strike back against Moscow’s use of cheap but deadly “glide bombs”, which have proven devastating for Ukrainian forces in recent months.
These are often launched from air bases deep inside Russian territory. Ukraine wants the right to attack and destroy them, but cannot currently do so using US weapons systems.
Asked by reporters if the US would lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons on Tuesday, President Biden said his administration was “working that out now”.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US has been reluctant to supply or sanction the use of weapons that could strike targets deep inside Russia, for fear it would escalate the conflict.
It has, however, loosened some of the restraints on such missile use, allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike areas along Russia’s border where troops are firing from.
Kyiv’s other allies have also been supplying some long-range weapons – with restrictions on how and when they can be used inside Russia, out of concern such strikes could prompt retaliation that draws Nato countries into the war or provokes a nuclear conflict.
In recent months, President Zelensky has criticised the pace of weapons deliveries, and asked for authorisation to strike targets deep inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles – a move the US has thus far resisted.
Russia’s President Putin also warned earlier this year that attacks by Ukraine on Russia with Western missiles risked triggering a wider war.
“Constant escalation can lead to serious consequences,” he said in May. “Do they want a global conflict?”
He added responsibility for any strikes inside Russia’s territory would lie with Western arms suppliers, even if Ukraine’s forces carried out the strikes.
Separately on Tuesday, the US, UK, France and Germany imposed fresh sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine.
Measures included restrictions on national carrier Iran Air’s ability to fly to the UK and Europe – as well as travel bans and asset freezes on a number of Iranians accused of facilitating military support for Russia.
