Let us strike deep inside Russia, Ukraine pleads

Ukraine's top diplomat has called on the European Union to pressure the US into allowing them to use Western long-range missiles to strike deeper into Russian territory. The request comes ahead of crunch talks between senior Kyiv and Washington officials later this week.

- TOM WATLING

Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, speaking in Brussels yesterday, where he is attending an informal meeting of the bloc’s 27 foreign ministers, urged the EU to “play a role in persuading the US” to green-light the deeper strikes.

Ukraine needs “support to finally lift restrictions on long-range strikes on all legitimate military targets in Russia”, Mr Kuleba told Politico. “Of course this decision lies mainly with the United States and the UK, but France is also a party and part of the EU.”

“If we are supplied with a sufficient amount of missiles, if we are allowed to strike we will significantly decrease the capacity of Russia to inflict damage on our critical infrastructure and we will improve the situation for our forces on the ground,” he said.

After the meeting Mr Kuleba also urged the EU allies to expedite deliveries of promised air defence systems. “I conveyed a sense of urgency regarding the delivery of already pledged military aid, including air defence systems,” he said on X following his meeting.