Top US, UK diplomats arrive in Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian leaders

Ukraine has been pressing its allies to allow the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles on targets in Russia, particularly after Blinken accused Iran of providing Moscow with Fath-369 short-range ballistic missiles at a news conference in London.

“We hope that long-range equipment for strikes on the territory of our enemy will be reached and we will have it,” Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal told Lammy.

“We hope for your help and support in this issue.”

“If we are allowed to destroy (Russia’s) military targets or weapons ready for attacks on Ukraine, it would certainly bring more safety for our civilians, our people, and our children,” Shmyhal added in a news conference on Tuesday.

The Kremlin announced Russia would respond “appropriately” if the US agreed to lift its restrictions on Ukraine using US-supplied missiles to strike targets inside Russia.

“Each decision made by the collective West and then imputed to Ukraine is an additional confirmation that conducting (the war) is justified, necessary and has no alternative,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, called for “strong decisions” to be made as he reiterated his call for permission to use long-distance missiles in Russia.

“I will have a little bit later a talk with him (Blinken) and minister of foreign affairs for the UK. I don’t know all the details of our conversation. I will be ready to be open and honest after these consultations.”

“If I am optimistic about their decision to give us permission to use long distance, it is a pity it doesn’t depend on my optimism. It depends on their optimism. Let’s count on some strong decisions on this,” he continued.

“For us it is very important for today. Anyway, I will tell you after the meeting and anyway I am counting on my dialogue with President (Joe) Biden this month,” Zelensky stated.

He also said a “victory plan” he wants to present to Joe Biden this month would strengthen Kyiv.

“If partners support it (the plan), it will make it easier for Ukraine to force Russia to end the war,” the Ukrainian president added.

“What is this plan for? It is a serious strengthening of Ukraine and, in my opinion, it will have both psychological and political… influence on Russia’s decision to end this war.”

Lammy has said the west is “listening carefully” to Ukraine’s needs, adding he and Blinken were to “listen to Ukraine, to speak to President Zelensky, to hear and understand the strategy”.

When asked if the UK would allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia, Lammy stated, “We’re here to listen, to understand the plan, to understand the strategy and understand the needs across a whole range of fronts.”

“We are listening carefully and, of course, we are having discussions on a range of issues including the military equipment that Ukraine needs to win.”

Also on Wednesday, Lammy announced more than 600 million pounds of support for Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The UK is set to provide 242 million pounds of funding and 484 million pounds in loan guarantees.

The UK government is set to provide hundreds of additional air defence missiles, tens of thousands of additional artillery ammunition rounds and more armoured vehicles, to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year.

Blinken also announced more than $700 million in aid for Ukraine, aiming to bolster the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter.

The $325m in energy support in the package will help repair and restore Ukraine’s power generation facilities, provide emergency backup power and strengthen the physical security of energy infrastructure.

Some $290m will fund food, water, shelter, health care and education programs for Ukrainians in need in the country and refugees outside the country. The remaining $102m will be used for mine-removal activities.