London pressures Washington to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia

Long-range missiles have become a significant point of contention between the British and American governments, which had previously been aligned on strategy. The UK aims to persuade the U.S. to allow the Defense Forces of Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russian territory.

There are two possible scenarios.

At the beginning of last week, I warned that our partners had tied the approval for using long-range weapons on Russian territory to a so-called pragmatic peace plan, meaning they expect Kyiv to outline its vision for ending the war. This deal will be challenging if only due to the disagreements between U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The New York Times analyzed their meeting on Friday and offered insights into the situation.

The British delegation argued that Ukraine should not be expected to fight effectively if it does not attack the military facilities from which Russia launches missiles or operates aircraft with guided aerial bombs. Meanwhile, despite all his nuclear threats, Putin is mostly bluffing.

Biden's opinion was much more cautious. He has traditionally hesitated when making important decisions. The White House took Putin's statements seriously, indicating that lifting restrictions on the use of long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory would mean NATO's direct involvement in the war in Ukraine. As a result, Biden blocked the decision.

Nevertheless, after the meeting with Biden, the British leader hinted at a swift decision on weapons for Ukraine. What does this mean?

After the talks between the leaders reached a deadlock, five former British defense ministers and one former prime minister urged the current prime minister to act independently, specifically to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory. The Sunday Times reported: “Any further delay will embolden President Putin... and that is a dereliction of duty.

Britain could authorize the launch of Storm Shadows without U.S. approval, but the missiles would be easily intercepted by Russian air defenses or knocked off course, as the Russians can easily jam GPS. Therefore, the missiles need a different type of navigation system, which is still classified and only available from the Americans.

Biden and his team have taken a “wait-and-see” attitude until Zelenskyy presents his “victory plan.” Therefore, there are two potential scenarios for further developments:

Either Biden returns to reality and gives the green light for the Ukrainian Defense Forces to use all types of missiles.

Or he simply approves the use of American targeting systems for Storm Shadows.

The authorization for long-range strikes against Russia will be announced during the UN General Assembly at the end of the month, a British official told Politico: "We are now in the final stages of diplomatic negotiations."