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Nato chief says up to 'individual allies to make decision' on allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russia
16 September 2024, 18:04 | Updated: 16 September 2024, 18:07
The decision over whether to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range missiles inside Russia will be up to individual allies, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has told LBC.
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"It's for the individual allies to make these decisions, but it's important that we consult closely on these issues as we do," Nato Secretary General Stoltenberg told LBC's Andrew Marr.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenksy has reportedly pleaded with Western leaders for permission to use the missiles inside Russia as he demanded they make "strong decisions" to help Ukraine win the conflict.
Kyiv wants to use the missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.
Last year, the UK donated Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, but the weapons remain off-limits beyond Ukraine's borders despite repeated requests from Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that allowing long-range strikes "would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia".
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Sunday that talks are continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.
Addressing the recent talks, Stoltenberg said: "I welcome these developments and these decisions but its for individual allies to make the final decisions"
But the Nato boss - who is standing down after a decade in the role - warned: "There are no risk-free options in war".
"We have a full-scale war in Europe launched by Moscow. There are no risk-free options in the war. But I continue to believe that the biggest risk for us will be if President Putin wins in Ukraine."
Concern about escalation has been one of the reasons why permission has not been given to Kyiv to use Western long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia.
Stoltenberg was also asked whether the UK needed significantly stronger air defences - and even implement an iron dome around the British Isles similar to that used by Israel.
"I will not go into the specifics of NATO's defence plans and what individual allies should do but we need significantly stronger air defence," he said.
"Both against ballistic missiles and cruise missiles but we see the havoc drones can do, which is something we haven't seen before. It's part of the transition that NATO is on to invest significantly more in advanced air defence systems."
Sir Keir Starmer earlier warned that Nato needs to "put Ukraine in the best possible position" when asked about the UK potentially lifting restrictions on Storm Shadow missiles being used inside Russian territory.
The Prime Minister met US President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday for talks on giving Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles to target Russian airfields and military bases, but no decision was reached.
During a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Starmer was asked about comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin that allowing long-range strikes "would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia".
Starmer told reporters in Rome: "I think it is important for us to start from the fundamental position, which is that this is an illegal war started by Russia and, as a result, Ukraine has the right to self defence, and we have all - Italy, the UK and other allies, Nato allies in particular - been standing with Ukraine."
He added: "It's a war against the values of democracy, of freedom and the rule of law, which apply to all of us in our respective countries, but across all of the allies. That is why we've supplied capability, we've supplied training, we've supplied money, and there are further commitments to be made recently in relation to all of those.
"I think it's very important as a matter of principle that we put Ukraine in the best possible position, and that's what we've been discussing. We've had the opportunity today to touch on that.
"I had the opportunity in recent days to touch on that. I'm not going to go into individual capabilities. You wouldn't expect me to do that, but the principle framework, I think, is absolutely right, and we'll continue to have our discussions in relation to it."
Meloni shared Sir Keir's commitment to Ukraine's defence, but said permission for long-range missiles is the responsibility of individual countries.
She said: "With regards to Ukraine, of course, Kyiv, it is very important for us that Kyiv has the very best conditions to sit at the peace table. And this is exactly what we've been doing right from the start, and what we're trying to do to guarantee the best conditions to achieve this.
"And with regards to the authorisation of using long-range missiles, these are decisions which are made by single countries which provide these weapons, bearing in mind their constitution and their legal framework. In Italy this authorisation, as you know today, as of yet, is not debatable, but these are all decisions which we fully share with our allies."
