Five former British defense ministers, along with former prime minister Boris Johnson, have appealed to current prime minister Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russia, even if the US does not provide support. This is reported by The Sunday Times .
Signatories to the appeal include Grant Shepps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox. They warned that further delay would only embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has said that without immediate action, the UK risks "appeasing" the Kremlin. His colleague, Gavin Williamson, called the inaction a "dereliction of duty" and 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 the appeal of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi regarding permission to use British missiles. According to insiders, the 90-minute talks were "very open" and concerned strategic choices facing Ukraine's allies.
Why are Storm Shadow important?
Storm Shadow missiles are high-precision, long-range systems capable of striking at a distance of up to 560 km. Their ability to hit targets on the territory of Russia may become a decisive factor in the war for Ukraine. Some politicians and experts believe that their use will help turn the tide of the conflict, providing additional support for the Armed Forces.
