Starmer Hints at US Possible Approval for Storm Shadow Missile Strikes Against Russia

Hints have emerged from British government circles suggesting that the United States has given Ukraine permission to use Storm Shadow missiles for strikes on Russian territory, according to an article by The Times.

A senior government source privately stated that UK PM Keir Starmer’s stance is clear—he supports allowing Ukraine to use the weapons as needed for its self-defense. Meanwhile, Britain has been quietly urging the United States on this matter for months.

The tipping point, according to a Foreign Office source, was Russia’s deployment of North Korean soldiers, which was seen as a “major escalation” in the war. US approval is now anticipated, particularly as Ukraine has already utilized long-range ATACMS against targets in Russia.

On Tuesday morning, Starmer began hinting that it was only a matter of time before Storm Shadow missiles could be used by Ukraine to strike Russia.

“We must ensure Ukraine has what it needs for as long as it needs to win this war,” he said. “[But] I’m not going to go into operational matters, because there’s only one winner if I do that, and that is Putin.”

Senior government sources indicated that Starmer’s shift in phrasing was deliberate and hinted that the US has now dropped its earlier objections to the use of Storm Shadow missiles.

On November 19, US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols officially confirmed that the White House has authorized Ukraine to use long-range weapons for strikes on Russian territory.

Ukraine's Defense Forces have reportedly carried out their first-ever strike on a military target within Russian territory, using US-manufactured ATACMS ballistic missiles. According to Reuters sources in the US, Russia intercepted 2 out of 8 ATACMS missiles launched by Ukraine.