White House Says, There’s No Change in U.S. Policy Regarding Ukraine’s Use of Long-Range Weapons on Russia
Sept. 14—White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, speaking ahead of the meeting between President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, told reporters on a conference call not to expect any change in U.S. policy respecting United States-supplied long range missiles in Ukraine. “I would not expect there to be any announcements on this coming out of the meeting today,” he said. “There’s been no change to our policy … with respect to the long-range strike capability inside Russia, and I’d leave it at that.”
Kirby also indicated that the administration has heard Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning from Sept. 12—that Russia would consider NATO to be at war with Russia if Western-made long range missiles start hitting targets in Russia: “When he starts brandishing the nuclear sword, for instance, yeah, we take that seriously, and we constantly monitor that kind of activity. He obviously has proven capable of aggression. He has obviously proven capable of escalation over the last, now, going on three years. So, yeah, we take these comments seriously, but it is not something that we haven’t heard before.” He then added: “If Mr. Putin is so concerned about the safety and security of Russian sites and cities, the easiest way to alleviate those concerns is to get his troops the hell out of Ukraine and the war.”
As for the British prime minister, Starmer arrived in Washington . “In an extended meeting at the White House, the Prime Minister and the President will discuss a wide range of pressing international issues—including our ongoing support for Ukraine, and the urgent need for a ceasefire deal and the release of all hostages in the Middle East,” No. 10 Downing St. said in a statement. “The session will focus on strategy and how progress can be made towards long-term solutions for both conflicts.”
Starmer’s trip “follows the Foreign Secretary [Lammy] and U.S. Secretary of State’s [Blinkin} visit to Kyiv this week, where they heard directly from President Zelenskyy about Ukraine’s current position against Russia’s ongoing barbaric invasion,” the statement goes on. “In a significant escalation, it was also confirmed this week that Iran has transferred ballistic missiles to Russia—bolstering Putin’s capability to continue his illegal war. The U.K. confirmed an extra £600 million of support for Ukraine yesterday, on top of the £3 billion a year for as long as needed, confirmed by the Prime Minister in July.” [
