UKRAINE has still not been authorised to strike Russia with British Storm Shadow missiles, The Sun can reveal.
The White House is continuing to block the use of the UK made firepower despite giving the greenlight for their own ATACMS to be used on limited strikes on Russian territory.
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Multiple sources have confirmed British efforts have yet to convince Joe Biden to give the go ahead for our donated weaponry, which has a longer range, but requires US tech for guidance.
The Kremlin accused the US of “pouring oil on the fire” and risking World War 3 with Sunday’s decision to allow long range missiles to be used to strike Russian positions in the war-torn Kursk region.
PM Sir Keir Starmer has been lobbying Biden for months at the behest of the Ukrainians to relax the block on Storm Shadows – with No10 repeatedly refused to be drawn on Monday whether that goal had been reached.
But privately government figures admit that the American veto on Storm Shadows remains in place.
The Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs on Monday afternoon that he “would not be drawn on details of long range missiles today.”
He insisted public discussion of the matter would “compromise operational security” adding to do so would only help Putin.
Downing Street would only say they wanted to put Ukraine in the “strongest possible position going into the winter to defend its sovereign territory”.
Sir Keir’s spokeswoman added: “Our support in Ukraine is ironclad and will continue on that basis. But as to the specifics of the support that we provide … we won’t get into speculation or a commentary on operational discussions.
“It also remains the case that no war was ever won with one single piece of kit,” she said.
Asked if it was fair to say the UK would work in lockstep with the US, the spokeswoman replied: “It has always been the case we work closely with our allies and engage to ensure that strategically we are providing the support that Ukraine needs, and we do that in consultation both with Ukraine and with each other as allies.”
Earlier Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News: “The Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary will always keep under review what the Ukrainian government asked of us by way of support.
The outgoing US president’s decision could see long-range missiles used initially in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have launched an incursion into Russian territory and President Vladimir Putin has bolstered his defences with troops from North Korea.
Mr Zelensky has been lobbying western allies for permission to strike targets in Russian territory, arguing that he is effectively being forced to fight with his hands tied because he cannot hit the bases Mr Putin is using to launch air attacks against his country.
Mr Zelensky said “long-range capabilities” are a key part of his “victory plan”.
But Moscow warned the move would be a major escalation in the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “If such a decision has indeed been formulated and communicated to the Kyiv regime, then of course this is a qualitatively new round of escalation of tensions and a qualitatively new situation in terms of the involvement of the United States in this conflict.”
Putin-loyalist Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy chairman of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee warned: “This is a very big step towards the beginning of the Third World War”.
