Former UK Defense Ministers urge allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia

Five former UK defense ministers and an ex-prime minister have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles against Russian territory, The Sunday Times reports.

“Instead of waiting for formal approval from the US, Sir Keir should give President Zelenskyy what is critically needed today. This is how we took the lead in supporting Ukraine globally. We acted. Others followed. And this is the leadership Ukraine needs again today,” said former UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.

Boris Johnson, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt, and Liam Fox also supported the call. They emphasized that any further delay would only embolden Putin.

Ben Wallace added that if action is not taken now, the UK risks becoming a party that seeks peace by yielding to Kremlin demands. “We were the first in Europe to provide lethal weapons, and we have continued to support Ukraine every step of the way,” he said.

Williamson called this “a failure of duty,” while Johnson added that “there is no reason for delay.”

On September 13, Keir Starmer met with US President Joe Biden. Officials discussed granting the Ukrainian Armed Forces permission to strike deeper into Russia. However, the meeting ended without any agreements, journalists report.

Earlier, The Guardian, citing sources within the UK government, reported that British officials have already made the decision to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow cruise missiles against targets on Russian territory.