President Joe Biden brushed off a threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about war against the West if Ukraine’s allies allow it to use weapons deeper inside Russia. It's a shift that Kyiv has pleaded for, but no decision was immediately announced following a meeting Friday between Biden and Britain’s prime minister.
Ukraine was a key topic for Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after this week’s visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, who came under fresh pressure to loosen weapons restrictions. So far, the US has allowed Ukraine to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Two US officials familiar with discussions said they believed Starmer was seeking Biden’s approval to allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles for expanded strikes in Russia. Biden's approval may be needed because Storm Shadow components are made in the US. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share the status of private conversations, said they believed Biden would be amenable.
Starmer said talks would continue when global leaders convene for the annual UN General Assembly gathering this month.
“This was a really important invitation from the president to have this level of discussion about those critical issues,'' he told reporters after the White House meeting. He added, “Ukraine has a right to self-defense, and we’ve stood united.”
Putin said a day earlier that allowing long-range strikes “would mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are at war with Russia.” His remarks were in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response.
Speaking to journalists before the private talks with Starmer, Biden said he wanted to make “clear that Putin will not prevail in this war.”
Asked what he thought about Putin’s threat, Biden answered, “I don’t think much about Vladimir Putin.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed Friday that decisions on what military support to provide Ukraine were complex, saying, “There is no silver bullet when it comes to things like this.” He noted last week that Ukraine has already been able to strike inside Russia with its own internally produced systems, including drones.
