- Author, Kate Whannel
- Role, Political journalist
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Sir Keir Starmer to “show leadership” by helping to remove restrictions on how Ukraine can use weapons supplied by its Western allies.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Downing Street, Mr Zelensky said the ability to strike Russian territory would help prevent attacks on residential areas in Ukraine.
Asked about the matter earlier, Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK’s arms supply to Ukraine “does not prevent it from striking targets in Russia”.
He added, however, that “this must be done by Ukrainians and must be done within the framework and limits of international humanitarian law.”
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the UK was having “intense discussions” on the “complex issues”, but added that he would not go into detail in public.
During his visit to Downing Street, Mr Zelensky also thanked the British government for its continued support, which he said would help end the war with Russia.
He was greeted in the cabinet chamber with a standing ovation from senior ministers.
It was the first time a foreign leader had addressed the cabinet in person since U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1997.
Sir Keir vowed to “redouble our efforts” to support Ukraine and told Mr Zelensky that “the political will to support Ukraine was not just in Parliament, but across the country”.
He also said he had accepted an invitation to visit Ukraine in the future.
In June, Ukraine was allowed to use Western weapons to strike targets in Russia. Until now, it was only allowed to target occupied territories in Ukraine.
However, the authorization does not extend to long-range weapons, which could be used to strike military bases inside Russia.
This means that Ukraine can only strike targets close to its border.
Earlier this month, a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital kyiv was hit after Russia launched a wave of missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
At the cabinet meeting, Mr Zelensky told top ministers that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must pay” for his “disregard for human life”.
“How can we guarantee this? At present, we do not find the main answer to this question: our long-range capability.
“Show leadership in this area and persuade other partners to remove these limits.
“We need this measure that will force Russia to seek peace.”
During his visit to 10 Downing Street, Mr Zelensky signed a defence export support treaty aimed at helping Ukrainian and British defence companies invest in new military capabilities.
The move follows Thursday’s meeting of the European Political Community at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, where the continent’s leaders agreed to tackle Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” – 600 tankers evading sanctions on Russian oil.
These ships carry about 1.7 million barrels of oil per day. Some of them are also believed to be carrying weapons to Russia or serving as Russian listening stations.
