Keir Starmer last night told Vladimir Putin that he started the war in Ukraine and could end it at any time as the Russian leader warned that any use of long-range British missiles into Russian territory would put Nato at war with his country.
The prime minister spoke en route to Washington to see Joe Biden as he sought to justify a western decision made behind closed doors that would allow Ukraine to attack inside Russia with Storm Shadow missiles that are partly British made.
Responding directly to threats earlier by the Russian president, Starmer said: “Russia started this confl ict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this confl ict straight away. Ukraine has the right to self defence.”
The UK, he added, had provided “training and capability” – a reference to weapons – to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion and he said that he was visiting the US president partly because “there are obviously further discussions to be had about the nature of that capability ”.
A day earlier, the Guardian revealed that the US and UK had agreed, in conjunction with other allies, to accede to Kyiv’s demands to strike military targets inside Russia with Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of at least 190 miles .
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