Telegraph: Starmer, Macron aim to push Biden for last-minute shift on Ukraine long-range missile policy ahead of Trump presidency

Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are set to meet in Paris to discuss strategies for maintaining support for Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office. Prime Minister of the UK and French president will explore whether President Joe Biden can be convinced to authorize Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles deeper into Russian territory, according to the Telegraph. 

Western countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have imposed restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory, fearing nuclear escalation with Russia. These restrictions apply to various Western-supplied weapons, including American ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) and British Storm Shadow missiles. 

Ukraine needs US permission to fully utilize British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes into Russia because of the missile’s reliance on advanced guidance systems that require highly accurate elevation maps, owned by the United States. Without access to this classified cartography data, the missiles would depend solely on GPS navigation, making them more susceptible to Russian electronic warfare and reducing their effectiveness. 

The potential shift in the policy may come from a sense of urgency to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities before Trump becomes the US president in January, as he might be more inclined to pursue a deal with Russia that could be unfavorable to Ukraine. Throughout his campaign, Trump promised to end the war “on day one,” raising fears he might pressure Kyiv to accept territorial losses to Russia.

The Telegraph reports that London officials hope Biden might grant this long-sought approval from Kyiv as part of securing his foreign policy legacy. 

“We are very keen to make sure we can make the most of the time between now and 20 Jan [when Mr Trump becomes US president] and not just put everything on hold until the next administration,” a senior Whitehall source told the Telegraph.

The diplomatic initiative, however, carries risks, as Trump could interpret these discussions as interference with future US foreign policy, potentially straining UK-US relations before his January inauguration.

The Biden administration is also expected to release additional financial aid to Ukraine in its final weeks. 

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is also seeking support from the UK, France, and other European nations to prevent Ukraine from making concessions in a potential peace deal with Russia, which may be brokered by US President-elect Donald Trump.

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering a plan for a 1,000-km buffer zone in Ukraine, to be guarded by EU and British forces rather than US troops. The proposal, which would freeze current frontlines and delay Ukraine’s NATO membership ambitions by 20 years, suggests that the US would supply weapons but avoid direct military involvement.

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