The US is to hit Iran with fresh sanctions for supplying Russia with missiles, US secretary of State Antony Blinken said today as he revealed he will join Foreign Secretary David Lammy on the first joint UK-US visit to Ukraine.
The US has warned Iran that providing ballistic missiles to Russia to use in Ukraine would ‘constitute a dramatic escalation’, Mr Blinken said on a visit to London.
The two foreign ministers will seek to reaffirm their commitment to supporting Kyiv against Putin’s invasion, amid calls for more freedom for the Zelensky government to target targets inside Russia.
US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are likely to discuss restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons when they meet in Washington on Friday.
In a press conference this afternoon, Mr Blinken said: ‘Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians.
The Iranian ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles, will allow Russia to target its arsenal further from the front line, he said.
The US has warned Iran that providing ballistic missiles to Russia to use in Ukraine would ‘constitute a dramatic escalation’, Mr Blinken said on a visit to London.
President Zelensky has repeatedly pushed for permission to use Western missiles to strike at targets within Vladimir Putin’s Russia. His forces attacked Moscow last night
US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are likely to discuss restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons when they meet in Washington on Friday, after the foreign ministers’ visit
President Zelensky has repeatedly pushed for permission to use Western missiles to strike at targets within Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
His forces last night targeted Moscow itself with a drone attack. But fierce fighting continues ion the west of Ukraine.
At a joint press conference with Mr Lammy, 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.
‘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.’
Asked whether Ukraine would be given permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles in Russia, Mr Lammy said: ‘It’s hugely important that we’re travelling together to hear from our Ukrainian counterparts and president Zelensky their assessment of the situation on the ground and their needs on the ground.
‘It would, however, be quite wrong to comment on the detail of operational issues in a forum such as this, because the only person who could benefit is Putin, and we will do nothing to give him any advantage in his illegal invasion.’
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