Ukraine still faces difficulties in delivering deep strikes on Russian territory with Western missiles, including Storm Shadow, probably due to the political decisions of the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, Keir Starmer. This is reported by The Telegraph.
During the September visit to the USA, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy was unable to achieve the lifting of restrictions on the use of these missiles against Russia. At the same time, the very need to "ask" permission from US President Joe Biden is a consequence of the "incompetence" of the British Prime Minister, the author of the article notes.
Ukraine received Storm Shadow missiles from the previous government of Great Britain, which allowed their use for strikes on Crimea without asking permission from the United States. However, the new prime minister, who came to power in the summer, changed his approach, first turning to Washington for permission to use the weapons system. That, experts say, set a precedent that allowed the Biden administration to veto the use of missiles if it didn't serve their political goals.
"After becoming prime minister, Starmer effectively fixed this pattern of engagement, which made it difficult for Ukraine to use its stockpile of Storm Shadow weapons," the article says. Although the British government has not changed its position on the Ukrainian military's use of these missiles to strike Russia, the restrictions that have arisen as a result of the new policy have had a negative impact on Ukraine's combat capability.
The next weeks and months may become decisive in the war in Ukraine. Starmer noted that "delicate negotiations" are ongoing with the White House regarding allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles for attacks on Russian territory. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for "courage" in negotiations with the US administration, stressing the importance of the issue to further support the Ukrainian war effort.
The situation remains tense, and further steps may determine not only the fate of the conflict, but also the future of international relations between the West and Russia.
