Ukraine’s relationship with Britain has ‘worsened’ since Keir Starmer turned PM – as stalemate over long-range Storm Shadow missiles continues
Relations between Ukraine and the UK have ‘worsened’ since the Labour party took power, officials in Kyiv have said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is yet to visit Ukraine in the four months since he took office in government.
According to a senior figure in President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s office, a trip to Kyiv would now be ‘worthless’ unless Starmer committed to replenishing stocks of the long-range Storm Shadow system.
This comes after Boris Johnson urged the PM to break the impasse over allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia, warning that every day’s delay is costing lives.
The senior figure told the Guardian that there is ‘no point’ in Starmer ‘coming as a tourist’.
Keir Starmer is yet to visit Ukraine in the four months since he took office as Prime Minister
Storm Shadow missiles are seen attached to the hard points of a Eurofighter Typhoon
Vladimir Putin has told Western nations that unleashing the Storm Shadows would represent Nato’s ‘direct participation’ in the Ukraine war
Discussing the additional missiles for the Storm Shadow, the source added: ‘It isn’t happening. Starmer isn’t giving us long-range weapons. The situation is not the same as when Rishi Sunak was prime minister. The relationship has got worse.’
It comes at a time when Ukraine is doubtful over the impact Donald Trump will have after his US election victory.
Previous Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Zelensky shortly after taking office, while Boris Johnson enjoyed a close relationship with the Ukraine president.
Speaking after a visit to war casualties in Kyiv, Johnson expressed frustration that talks between Sir Keir and US President Joe Biden in Washington had failed to sanction the use of Storm Shadow missiles against Vladimir Putin‘s forces.
Mr Johnson said: ‘It is heartbreaking to visit wounded veterans in recovery centres – as I have in Kyiv this weekend – where Ukrainian heroes are being treated for the injuries they have suffered in the past few months, and to think that some of these casualties could have been avoided if we had given Storm Shadow permissions earlier.
‘There is no conceivable case for delay. The only person who fears escalation is Vladimir Putin, and every day that goes by is a lost opportunity to save lives and bring about a just conclusion to this war.’
The Storm Shadow is a cruise missile with a range of roughly 155 miles and while expensive at £800,000 a time, it is considered effective against static targets and has been used to strike at Russian naval assets in Crimea.
Putin has told Western nations that unleashing the Storm Shadows would represent Nato‘s ‘direct participation’ in the Ukraine war.
Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with Boris Johnson during a meeting in Kyiv, September 13
Ukraine shows the release of a British-supplied Storm Shadow missile from its Su-24 supersonic attack warplane
So far, the US has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Following the meeting at the White House, Sir Keir evaded questions about the missiles, saying only: ‘We’ve had a long and productive discussion on a number of problems, including Ukraine’, rather than a ‘particular step or tactic’.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky branded Mr Johnson one of his greatest friends as he renewed his calls for the West to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia and to allow his forces to use Western weapons to target air bases and launch sites further afield, as Russia steps up assaults on his country’s electricity grid.
In a message shared on X, Mr Zelensky said of Mr Johnson: ‘I am grateful for his attention to Ukraine and support in providing the necessary international assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion.
‘Ukrainians always remember those who stand by them.’
Mr Zelensky said the country needed to ‘boost our air defence and long-range capabilities to protect our people’.
Defence analyst Justin Crump said Putin’s threats showed that he was testing both the new Labour Government and the outgoing Biden administration.
He added: ‘Ultimately Russia already supplies weapons to the UK’s adversaries, and is already engaged in active measures such as subversion, espionage, sabotage and information/cyber operations against Nato members’ interests.
‘This may all accelerate, but picking a fight against all of Nato is not something Russia can afford given how hard they’re struggling against just Ukraine.’
