Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use US-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia after months of pressure from Volodymyr Zelensky.
The outgoing US President’s decision could see long-range missiles used initially in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have launched an incursion into Russian territory and Vladimir Putin has bolstered his defences with troops from North Korea.
Mr Biden’s decision could pave the way for the UK to follow suit with the Storm Shadow long-range missiles it supplies to Ukraine.
The UK Government has been reluctant to give Ukraine permission without a shift in US policy, in part because the missiles use American navigation data.
Ukrainian President Mr Zelensky has been lobbying Western allies for permission to strike targets within Russian territory, arguing that he is effectively being forced to fight with his hands tied because he cannot hit the bases Mr Putin is using to launch air attacks against his country.
Mr Zelensky said “long-range capabilities” were a key part of his “victory plan”.
“There’s been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take relative actions,” he said.
“But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.”
But the Kremlin said the move would change the nature of Western involvement in the conflict.
According to Russia’s Tass news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “If such a decision has indeed been formulated and communicated to the Kyiv regime, then, of course, this is a qualitatively new round of escalation of tensions and a qualitatively new situation in terms of the involvement of the United States in this conflict.”
There has been no response from No 10 yet to Mr Biden’s decision, which has not been officially announced but has been widely reported in the US.
But Sir Keir Starmer said “we need to double down” on support for Ukraine and the issue was “top” of his agenda at this week’s G20 summit of world leaders in Brazil.
Mr Biden will be at the gathering, while Russia will be represented by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
The change in the final months of the Biden administration comes as Kyiv and Western allies brace for a possible change in US stance under Donald Trump, who has said he could end the war “in a day”.
The Prime Minister told reporters travelling with him to Rio de Janeiro: “We are coming up to the 1,000th day of this conflict on Tuesday.
“That’s 1,000 days of Russian aggression, 1,000 days of huge impact and sacrifice in relation to the Ukrainian people, and recently we’ve seen the addition of North Korean troops working with Russians which does have serious implications.
“I think on one hand it shows the desperation of Russia, but it’s got serious implications for European security … and for Indo-Pacific security, and that’s why I think we need to double down on shoring up our support for Ukraine and that’s top of my agenda for the G20.
“There’s got to be full support as long as it takes and that certainly is top of my agenda, shoring up that further support for Ukraine.”
Earlier this week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Mr Putin in what was the Russian leader’s first publicly announced conversation with the sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years.
I am deeply grateful to all our partners who support us with air defense systems and missiles. This is a truly global effort. Every time Russia carries out such attacks, it underscores how critical it is that partners don’t leave systems like Patriot and others sitting idle in… pic.twitter.com/4VZu4JpzxG
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 17, 2024
Asked if he had any plans to make a similar call, Sir Keir said: “It’s a matter for Chancellor Scholz who he speaks to. I have no plans to speak to Putin.”
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said he hoped the UK would follow the US lead in granting permission to use Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets in Russia given Mr Putin’s continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
“We welcome this decisive move from the US,” he said.
“It must now surely lead to Starmer giving Ukraine full autonomy on use of UK Storm Shadow missiles.”
