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White House Correspondent
Boris Johnson and five ex-defence secretaries have called for Sir Keir Starmer to go it alone and allow Ukraine to use British-made missiles to strike Russia – as foreign secretary David Lammy appeared to play down the importance of Shadow Storm missiles.
The former prime minister, as well as Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox, said Kyiv should be allowed to use the long-range missiles against Vladimir Putin – even without the backing of Joe Biden and the US.
The group has warned Sir Keir that any future delay risks strengthening Putin’s hand in the war.
However, Mr Lammy, when asked on Ukraine’s request to use the missiles on BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, shared other ways the UK was supporting Ukraine, such as providing training to troops.
He added: “No war is won with any one weapon, that is the case.”
The increase in pressure on Ukraine’s request follows talks between Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Biden in Washington that did not produce an agreement on whether the UK and US would give permission to Kyiv.
Further discussions are due to take place at the United Nations later this month.
Mr Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes “would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia”.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Mr Shapps 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.”
And Mr Wallace warned: “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.”
Meanwhile Mr Johnson told the Mail on Sunday: “There is no conceivable case for delay. The only person who fears escalation is Vladimir Putin, and every day that goes by is a lost opportunity to save lives and bring about a just conclusion to this war.”
But Mr Lammy, responding to Putin’s latest warnings, told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “Putin said ‘don’t send tanks’. We sent them. Putin said ‘don’t send any missiles’. We sent them.
“Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.”
Mr Lammy added: “We won’t be bullied by Putin’s shameless grandstanding. “What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.”
The use of Storm Shadow missiles, as well as US-made ATACMS, was a key topic discussed during a summit in Washington between Sir Keir and President Biden, but no decision was announced.
The use of Storm Shadows depends on US cooperation to be fully effective.
The former defence secretaries’ intervention comes amid heightened concern that Russia provided nuclear secrets to Iran in exchange for ballistic missiles for its Ukraine war.
If confirmed, such a deal would be especially alarming as Tehran is advancing its programme of uranium enrichment – a step towards developing a nuclear weapon.
Ukraine’s Western allies have claimed that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia and the weapons would likely be used in the war against Ukraine in the coming weeks. The United States, Britain, France and Germany hit Tehran with more sanctions, condemning its “escalatory” move.
Iran has denied supplying weapons to Russia, rejecting the claims as “completely baseless and false”. Russia has not denied the reports directly, instead responding by calling Iran an “important partner” and saying their cooperation was only deepening.
Piling on the pressure over UK and US weapons, Mr Williamson said: “From the start of this war Britain has not hesitated to take a lead to step forward when others have hesitated. Starmer needs to show that same leadership and determination. Failing to do so would be a dereliction of his duty.”
