Go it alone and let Ukraine fire missiles, PM told

After Washington stalemate, five ex-defence ministers say UK shouldn’t wait for US backing.

Joe Biden and Keir Starmer meet in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington on Friday. Picture: AFP

Five former British defence secretaries and a former prime minister have urged Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia, even without US backing.

Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson warned the British Prime Minister on Sunday that any further delay would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sir Ben said a failure to act now would make Britain “appeasers” of the Kremlin, while Sir Gavin described it as a “dereliction of duty” and Mr Johnson said there was “no conceivable case for delay”.

Sir Keir flew to Washington for intensive talks with US President Joe Biden on Friday to discuss the war and pleas from President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine for permission to use the British-made missiles.

However, the meeting broke up without any agreement, an outcome Mr Zelensky described as “difficult to hear”.

Pressure has been growing on Britain and the US to sanction the use of Storm Shadow missiles after it was revealed last week that Russia had received about 200 ballistic missiles from Iran for use in Ukraine. Senior security sources believe Russia has shared nuclear secrets with Iran in return for the weapons.

The US National Security Council said there was “no change to our policy” on allowing the use of the long-range missiles on Russian territory.

It can also be revealed that:

• Mr Biden told Sir Keir he wanted to see Ukraine’s victory plan, due to be presented by Mr Zelensky at the UN general assembly, before giving approval for striking Russian targets.

• British defence officials said the UK could unilaterally authorise Ukraine to fire Storm Shadows but they might be shot down or go off course unless the Americans shared data that allows them to bypass Russian air defences.

• Mr Biden’s team is split between Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who wants to authorise use of the weapons in Russia, and the doveish National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan.

On Thursday, Putin said permitting Western-made missiles to strike Russia would mean NATO was engaged in a “war” with Russia.

Mr Biden is said to be holding back on supplying US-made ­ATACMS guided missiles for fear of escalation, but he is understood to be willing to approve the use of US intelligence and targeting systems to be used with the Storm Shadow, which is jointly produced by Britain, France and Italy.

The row over whether Western missiles could be used to strike targets across Ukraine’s border follows similar delays on decisions on supplying tanks and fighter jets.

On Sunday, the former Conservative prime minister and the defence secretaries urged Sir Keir to act. Leading the chorus of ­voices calling on Britain to move unilaterally, Mr Shapps, the defence secretary from August last year until July, said “Rather than waiting for formal approval from the US, Sir Keir needs to provide President Zelensky with what’s desperately needed today”.

“That’s how we assumed our global leadership position in supporting Ukraine. We acted. Others followed. And it’s the kind of leadership that’s required again for Ukraine today,” he said.

Sir Ben, who served from 2019 to 2023, added: “Britain is in danger of falling behind into the pack of ditherers, appeasers and delayers, when the only real way to stand up to a bully such as Putin is to be strong, united and determined to see it through.”

Both he and Sir Gavin believe Britain should maintain its role at the forefront of support for Ukraine. “Britain’s leadership from the outset was vital in galvanising the international response,” Sir Ben said.

“We were the first in Europe to put in lethal weapons and we have continued to support Ukraine all the way through.”

Ms Mordaunt argued that failure to act would imperil Mr Zelensky and embolden Putin. Mr Johnson, who visited wounded veterans in Kyiv this weekend, said it was “heartbreaking” to meet casualties whose injuries could have been avoided if the use of the Storm Shadows within Russia had been granted sooner.

“There is no conceivable case for delay,” he said. “The only person who fears escalation is Putin; every day that goes by is a lost opportunity to save lives and bring a just conclusion to this war.”

Mr Zelensky has accused the West of emboldening Putin. He said on Friday: “Time passes, but Russian missiles and Iranian drones continue to terrorise our skies and our people.”

THE SUNDAY TIMES