Ekaterina Limanskaya10:01, 16.09.24

American guidance systems are considered critical to ensuring that missiles hit their targets.

Britain will not allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia without the consent of the United States, The Times reports .

Five former defence secretaries and a former prime minister have called on the current British prime minister, Keir Starmer, to act unilaterally, warning that delays will only embolden Putin.

However, The Times reported that Britain would not “go it alone” as US guidance systems were considered critical to ensuring the missiles hit their targets.

The British government believes the US is still likely to give the green light at the UN General Assembly in New York, although there are rifts within President Biden’s administration.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Western allies needed a “common strategy”.

“It is important that as allies supporting Ukraine, we have a common strategy for winning in the future. We are now discussing this with the United States and other key allies. We are heading to the UN General Assembly, where we will all meet with Zelenskyy in less than 12 days,” he said.

No war is won with weapons alone, he said. “It is important that we support the Ukrainians to continue to push back against Russia in the Black Sea, it is important that they can cope with the enormous challenges in the air that Russia poses, and of course that we support them – and we have – in training their own men and women on the front line. We want to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for the future,” Lammy said.

Lifting restrictions on the use of weapons for Ukraine

US President Joe Biden said his administration is currently considering lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons in the conflict with Russia.

Reuters reports that the United States is wary of supplying or allowing the use of weapons capable of hitting targets in Russia, fearing a possible escalation of the conflict.

(C)UNIAN 2024