Biden, Starmer to discuss Ukraine's push to ease weapons restrictions

Biden and Starmer meet to discuss Ukraine weapons policy amid escalating tensions with Russia and Iran.

US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are meeting Friday (September 13, 2024) amid an intensified push by Ukraine to loosen restrictions on using weapons provided by the U.S. and Britain to strike Russia. The talks come amid signs that the White House could be moving toward a shift in its policy.

Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided long-range missiles against targets deeper inside Russia during this week's visit to Kyiv by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.K. Foreign Minister David Lammy. Mr. Blinken said he had “no doubt” that Mr. Biden and Mr. Starmer would discuss the matter during their visit, noting the U.S. has adapted and “will adjust as necessary” as Russia's battlefield strategy has changed.

The language is similar to what Mr. Blinken said in May, shortly before the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use American-provided weapons just inside Russian territory. The distance has been largely limited to cross-border targets deemed a direct threat out of concerns about further escalating the conflict.

While the issue is expected to be at the top of the leaders' agenda, it appeared unlikely that Mr. Biden and Mr. Starmer would announce any policy changes during this week's visit, according to two U.S. officials familiar with planning for the leaders' talks who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

In addition to Mr. Blinken, Mr. Biden also has hinted a change could be afoot. In an exchange with reporters earlier this week about whether he was ready to ease weapons restrictions on Ukraine, he responded, “We're working that out now.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pressed U.S. and allied military leaders to go much further. He argues that the U.S. must allow Ukraine to target Russian air bases and launch sites far from the border as Russia has stepped up assaults on Ukraine's electricity grid and utilities ahead of the coming winter.

Mr. Zelenskyy also wants more long-range weaponry from the United States, including the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, for strikes in Russia.