LONDON (AP) — In a rare speech by a foreign leader to a meeting of British cabinet ministers, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Britain’s new government to help Ukrainian forces strike deeper into Russian territory to thwart deadly missile attacks on his country.
Zelensky said “long-range capabilities” to destroy Russian weapons concentrations were key to Ukraine’s defence.
Zelenskiy told Prime Minister Keir Starmer he wanted him to “show leadership” in lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons.
Russia launched a summer offensive in eastern Ukraine, unleashing devastating firepower that reduced villages to rubble and forced Ukrainian troops to retreat in large parts, and also launched missile and drone attacks across the country, killing dozens and hitting targets such as a children’s hospital in Kiev.
Some of Kiev’s allies are hesitant to allow Ukraine to use its weapons to attack Russian territory, fearing it could draw the West into a direct conflict with Russia. The British government has said it is up to Ukraine how to use the missiles it supplies, as long as international law is respected.
In an interview with the BBC, Zelenskiy said he wanted clarification on whether Ukraine could use British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, air-launched cruise missiles with a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles), against targets in Russia.
“A decision needs to be made about the use of long-range weapons,” Zelenskiy said. “It is very necessary. They are targeting our hospitals, our schools. We just want answers exactly from where they are targeting us.”
British Defense Secretary John Healey said Ukraine already had permission to use the missiles against Russia, but the rules on what exactly they could target and under what circumstances were “complex issues” and the subject of intense negotiations.
“We are supplying arms to Ukraine for the defence of its sovereign state. We do not prevent them from attacking targets inside Russia, but this must be done by Ukraine, and it must be done within the standards and bounds of international humanitarian law,” Healy told the BBC.
The United States, Ukraine’s largest military backer, recently changed its position, with the Pentagon saying last month that longer-range missiles provided by the U.S. could be used to strike targets inside Russia if Ukraine acts in self-defense.
“We must remember that security and defence cooperation between Ukraine and the UK is always important.”
president Zelensky I addressed the Cabinet this morning.
He will be the first foreign leader of this century. pic.twitter.com/8RljEo1cFM
— British Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 19, 2024
Since the start of Russia’s 2022 invasion, the United States has maintained a policy of not allowing Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons to attack targets inside Russia, fearing further escalation.
Zelensky received a standing ovation from Starmer’s government as he entered the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street. The last foreign leader to be invited to address a Cabinet meeting in person was US President Bill Clinton in 1997.
President Zelenskyy briefed his ministers on the situation in Ukraine and the need for European countries to step up defense production in the face of Russian aggression.
Zelensky said Ukraine had repelled a Russian attempt to invade the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, in the northeast, and shown it was “capable of thwarting any Russian attempt to escalate the war.”
But Ukrainian forces are struggling in the eastern Donetsk region, where a fierce Russian offensive in recent months has forced Kiev’s forces to withdraw from several towns and villages.
The latest targets are the mining towns of Tretsk and Pokrovsk, where Russia has stepped up attacks. Ukrainian forces have repelled 20 and 27 attacks on those areas, respectively, in the past 24 hours, the General Staff of Ukraine said on Friday. That’s nearly double the number of attacks recorded in other conflict zones along the front line, it said.
Starmer, whose centre-left Labour government was elected two weeks ago, has stressed that Britain’s strong support for Ukraine will continue during his term as prime minister.
Starmer said Britain would “double down” on its support for Ukraine, including through a treaty to help both countries expand military production. Britain has also given Ukraine access to 3.5 billion pounds ($4.5 billion) in export loans for arms purchases.
“Ukraine is and will remain at the heart of this Administration’s agenda, so it is only fitting that President Zelensky delivers an historic address to his cabinet,” Starmer said in a statement. “Russia’s incremental gains on the battlefield pale in comparison to the comprehensive international support for Ukraine and the strength of the bonds between our people.”
During a visit to Britain that includes a European Political Community summit on Thursday, the Ukrainian president reiterated urgent calls for more ammunition and weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia.
European leaders agreed at the summit to toughen sanctions against the “Shadow Fleet” of hundreds of illegal and ageing ships that Western countries say Russia is using to transport oil and evade sanctions.
At Thursday’s security-focused summit, leaders expressed support for Ukraine and concerns about U.S. moves, but were clouded by worries about whether the United States would remain a reliable ally if Donald Trump is re-elected.
Russia warns it will attack European capitals if US deploys missiles in Germanyhttps://t.co/5xTAkTJSiA
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 13, 2024
