On the coming Friday, a meeting will be held between Keir Starmer and the current President of the USA, Joe Biden. The war in Ukraine will be the central focus of the discussions. It also includes allowing the Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles more freely. This meeting comes after a week of diplomatic moves between the UK and the US. These include visits to Kyiv by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
For many months, Ukraine has been asking the US to remove restrictions on the free usage of these missiles. However, the US ignored this request due to the complex situation of the war. This week, a report revealed that the USA has decided to end this restriction privately. But there is no official announcement that will come to light, due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The meeting highlights the growing support for Ukraine from the West, but also the careful diplomatic approach being taken. Allowing Ukraine to use these powerful weapons more freely could escalate the conflict, which is why such decisions are made with caution.
Storm Shadow missiles can hit targets up to 155 miles away. It means it can attack Russia deeply. The strength of these missiles is unpredictable. They can destroy bunkers, ammunition, and airfields in very little time. The collaboration of different nations created these missiles. It includes the US, France, the UK, and Italy. Therefore, agreements between these four nations are required to use the missiles.
Right now, Ukraine only has permission to utilize these missiles within its borders. Now Ukraine wants to use them against Russia and is asking for permission from the US. The nation claimed that its defense was limited. They also argue that the nation faces severe difficulties in stopping missile attacks from Russia. Even though Ukraine has drones and other missiles, the quantity is not enough to save the nation from Russian threats.
Recently, Ukraine launched its drones to attack Moscow. This drone attack successfully damaged important locations. President Zelenskiy said the slow supply of Western weapons has cost lives and let Russia continue attacking.
The West is not in favor of allowing Ukraine to use missiles inside Russia. According to West, in this way, the situation becomes more complex. However, the US and its allies stand in favor of Ukraine to defend its rights without provoking a direct conflict with Russia.
They fear that if Ukraine attacks Russia with long-range missiles, it could lead to a much bigger war involving NATO.
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if the West allows Ukraine to strike targets in Russia, it would mean NATO is directly at war with Moscow. Putin said this would change the conflict’s nature, making it much more dangerous. He also said Russia would respond strongly to any new threats from NATO. By holding back, the West is trying to prevent the war from expanding beyond Ukraine’s borders.
There is a lot of shift in the situation due to different key factors. Ukraine is under pressure and also has worries about the coming winter. Last month, Ukraine attacked a Russian region named Kursk. This attack changed the opinion of people about the use of weapons on Russian soil. This situation highlights the strength of Ukraine, especially when it disrupts the usual course of the conflict.
One of the military experts from RUSI in London, Matthew Savill, said Ukraine did not warn its allies about Russia’s regional attack. This event changed the conversation about the risks of using long-range weapons inside Russia.
In other news, Russia recently received new ballistic missiles from Iran, which might have caused leaders in London and Washington to rethink their strategies.
In August, Ukrainian officials provided the US with a list of Russian targets. While Russia has moved key assets, the US now seems convinced that there are still important targets that could influence the conflict.
The main purpose of Ukraine is to weaken Russia’s ability to attack. They also want to push for a war on Russian soil. The main strategy is to convince Putin that war becomes costly after Ukraine is successful in its strategy. This pressure on Putin, hopefully, will change his approach.
Although Russia has lost many of its soldiers, such as between 68,000 and 150,000. The strategy could involve making regular Russians more aware of the war’s costs, but this is risky.
Additionally, attacking Russian airbases is difficult because they are far from the frontlines and heavily fortified. Some experts suggest that ATACMS missiles with cluster bomblets might be more effective for this purpose than current weapons like Storm Shadows. The challenge lies in balancing effectiveness with the risk of escalation.
