West must deliver in Ukraine

Apprehensions that allowing Ukraine to use long-range cruise missiles to hit targets inside Russia could lead to a major escalation in the conflict – possibly even the deployment of nuclear weapons – are understandable. But no less compelling is the moral case for helping Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s indiscriminate cross-border killing of civilians and the reality that if the West fails to do more to facilitate Kyiv’s fightback this northern winter, it will lose much of its credibility as an ally in the fight against Vladimir Putin’s imperialist ambitions.

With the Kremlin using “glide bombs” – refurbished bombs with guide systems – launched from behind Russia’s frontlines with increasingly devastating effect, and substantial civilian casualties, Kyiv wants to use its stocks of long-range missiles provided by mainly the US and Britain to hit back. They have been supplied with the proviso they are not used to attack targets inside Russia. The cruise missiles Kyiv wants to use could strike targets as much as 350km inside Russian territory. Hence fears in the US and Britain that giving Kyiv the green light to do so could lead to a dangerous escalation. The Times has reported deep concern that “Russia could respond by deploying nuclear weapons”, a prospect that has weighed heavily with Western allies since the conflict started. With Iran, in flagrant defiance of US warnings, now ever more heavily involved in helping Russia in Ukraine and supplying Putin’s forces with stockpiles of ballistic missiles, drones, artillery shells and ammunition, in addition to building a fully fledged drone manufacturing factory inside Russia, it is clearly time for Ukraine’s allies to rethink their caution.

Ukraine cannot reasonably be expected to do nothing about the proliferating cross-border attacks. Neither should the West ignore the increasing role Iran is playing. Perversely, the Biden administration’s limp-wristed failure to fully enforce sanctions on Iranian oil sales appears to have enriched the terrorist-supporting regime in Tehran, enabling it to build even more missiles that are being shipped to Russia. Given that reality, it is imperative the West loses no time in giving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the green light to use the cruise missiles. Doing so may add to apprehensions about possible deployment by Putin of nuclear weapons. But any refusal would be a devastating blow to the West’s credibility in its fight against the Russian tyrant’s hegemonic imperialist ambitions.