Starmer and Biden to Discuss Western Missile Use in Ukraine Conflict

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss potential Western missile use in Ukraine during a meeting on Friday. The discussion comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy seeks approval to use Western missiles against Russia, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's warnings against such actions.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to confer with U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday regarding the next steps in backing Ukraine, focusing on whether Western missiles should be employed to strike targets within Russia.

For months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been lobbying for permission to fire Western missiles such as the long-range U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows to impede Moscow's attack capabilities.

The New York Times, referencing European officials, reported that the U.S. appears poised to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russia on the condition they are not U.S.-provided weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles would fundamentally change the conflict's nature.

Attention now shifts to the Washington talks following a fact-finding trip to Kyiv by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Both officials showed new support for Ukraine but made no commitments regarding missile use. Lammy hinted discussions could extend beyond Friday, suggesting no conclusive announcement is expected from Starmer's visit.

Starmer, in remarks reported by British media accompanying him to Washington, emphasized, "We will, of course, be talking about many things in the round, but this is not a ­series of individual decisions. It is making sure that all the decisions we make are within the strategic context."

(With inputs from agencies.)