Storm Shadow missiles could be fired into Russia as US and UK set to shift position

The US and UK will discuss giving Ukraine the green light to use British long-range artillery on Russian soil, in a potentially major escalation in the European conflict.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy will travel with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv this week to hold talks with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy where they will discuss the issue amid Western allies’ belief that the conflict is entering a “critical moment”.

It comes after Mr Blinken told a joint press conference in London that the Iranian regime has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, which he said would be used against Ukraine “within weeks” in a move that “threatens European security”.

He said the Iranian Fath-360 missile has a range of up to 75 miles, with Russia giving Iran technical expertise on its nuclear programme in return.

Both Mr Lammy and Mr Blinken are expected to listen to demands from Mr Zelensky before reporting back to Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden ahead of their bilateral talks in Washington on Friday, where they are likely to discuss restrictions on the use of British-made Storm Shadow missiles within Russian territory.

Mr Zelensky has repeatedly pushed for permission to use Western missiles to strike at targets within Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

The US has so far been wary of allowing allied weapons to be used against Russian territory over fears of escalation. However, Whitehall sources now suggest the Iranian weapons are likely to lead to a change of mind.

Asked about the issue last night President Biden said his administration was ‘working that out now”.

Standing beside the Foreign Secretary, Mr Blinken said: “One of the purposes of the trip we will be taking together is to hear directly from the Ukrainian leadership including …. President Zelensky about exactly how the Ukrainians see their needs in this moment, toward what objectives and what we can do to support those needs.

He added: “All I can tell you is we will be listening intently to our Ukrainian partners, we will both be reporting back to the Prime Minister, to President Biden in the coming days and I fully anticipate this is something they will take up when they meet on Friday.”

It is unclear whether a final decision will be made on the use of Storm Shadows at the White House meeting on Friday, but it comes as both the US and UK emphasised the escalation of hostilities by the Iranian regime in supplying Russia with arms.

The UK is believed to be supportive of the use of British long-range artillery on Russian soil but not without the support from the US.

The “bunker busting” missiles are capable of hitting targets 190 miles away, significantly strengthening Ukraine’s ability to strike forces deep in Russian territory.

Up to now, the White House has been reluctant to allow the use of the missiles for fear of further escalating the conflict in Eastern Europe.

But Mr Blinken said US intelligence, shared with its international allies, showed that Iran was increasingly acting to destabilise regions outside the Middle East.

“Russia has now received shipments with these ballistic missiles, and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukraine,” Mr Blinken said.

The supply of Iranian missiles enables Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets that are further from the front line in Ukraine, he added.

“This development and the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran threatens European security and demonstrates how Iran’s destabilising influence reaches far beyond the Middle East.”

The Foreign Office announced a raft of new sanctions against Iran in the wake of its decision to arm Russia.

The UK, along with France, Germany and Italy, is cancelling its bilateral air services arrangement with Iran, which will restrict Iran Air’s ability to fly in the UK and Europe.

The UK and Washington announced coordinated sanctions against Iranian and Russian individuals and organisations. The UK has also sanctioned five Russian cargo ships.

Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at defense think tank Rusi, said the Iran escalation gave the West a chance to shift its stance.

“There’s an opening here for the international community to take the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles as justification for removing remaining caveats on the use of Western precision weapons – and I’m almost certain that’s what Zelensky and other will argue when Blinken and Lammy are there.

“But given US reluctance so far, I don’t honestly know if the US will relent, and would rather international partners provided more industrial support to Ukrainian drone programmes.”