UK allows Ukraine to use missiles for ‘defensive’ purposes

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that UK military aid to Ukraine, including Storm Shadow missiles, is for defensive purposes but that kyiv can decide how to deploy it.

Starmer, who took power on Friday after winning Britain’s July 4 general election, stressed that the missiles “obviously have to be used in accordance with international humanitarian law, as you would expect.”

“But it is up to Ukraine to decide how to deploy them for such defensive purposes,” the politician said. to journalists following his attendance at the NATO summit which begins today in Washington.

Storm Shadows are precision-guided cruise missiles with a range of over 250 kilometres.

This is the first time that Starmer has confirmed the new UK Government’s commitment to such a military deployment.

Starmer had indicated yesterday that his government is committed to allocating 2.5% of GDP to defence, shortly before embarking on his trip to the NATO summit in Washington.

He insisted, as he did during the election campaign, that will allocate that percentage “within our fiscal rules.”

“The most important thing at this NATO summit is to recommit our solidarity with Ukraine and discuss practical plans for further action we can take together on Russian aggression,” he said.