Foreign secretary David Lammy said on Sunday morning that talks are continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.
And he downplayed the importance of the Storm Shadow missiles, saying: “No war is won with any one weapon, that is the case.”
But speaking at the party’s autumn conference, Sir Ed said there are “difficult judgements” to be made.
He told a Q&A session: “Fundamentally I have come to the view that we should allow President Zelensky and Ukraine to use those long-range weapons to attack Russian military bases in Russia.”
He said he was “not privy to all of the intelligence and the briefings”, and later added: “If we have to do it unilaterally I think we should.”
He was backed up by Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, who told journalists: “Fundamentally, Putin is an aggressor, and I don’t think he’s going to stop at Ukraine.
“And I think he poses a fundamental threat to liberal democracy, to the values that we have in Europe. And I think we should be providing a lot of support to Ukraine so that they can push Putin out of their country.”
President Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes “would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia”.
On Sunday, former PM Boris Johnson, 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 increase in pressure on Ukraine’s request follows talks between Sir Keir Starmer and Joe 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.
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.”
It comes after Mr Lammy told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: “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. What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.”
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 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 US, Britain, France and Germany hit Tehran with more sanctions, condemning its “escalatory” move.
Yeah no. There is not enough 20,000 SPF to go around, and certainly not enough bunkers deep under ground with 25 - 50 years of food/water supplies to keep the general public from being incinerated by your stupid ridiculous low IQ folly.
Optimistic Pessimist
1h ago
Storm shadow missiles? What about the Destro tanks and the Duke fighters?
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