Five former British defense ministers, along with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have urged current Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russia, even if the United States does not provide support, The Sunday Times .
The petition, signed by Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox, warned that further delay would only embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Former defence secretary Ben Wallace said that without immediate action, the UK risks “appeasing” the Kremlin. His colleague, Gavin Williamson, called the inaction a “dereliction of duty”, while Boris Johnson added: “There is no reason for delay.”.
Negotiations with Biden
Starmer recently visited Washington, where he held talks with US President Joe Biden. One of the topics of discussion was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's request for permission to use British missiles. According to insiders, the talks, which lasted 90 minutes, were "very frank" and concerned the strategic choices facing Ukraine's allies.
Why are Storm Shadows important?
Storm Shadow missiles are high-precision, long-range systems capable of striking at distances of up to 560 km. Their ability to hit targets in Russia could be a decisive factor in the war for Ukraine. Some politicians and experts believe that their use will help turn the tide of the conflict by providing additional support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
