Joe Barnes
in Washington
30 September 2024 11:36pm
Joe Biden is under pressure from an influential government agency to allow Ukraine to fire Storm Shadow missiles into Russia.
The US Helsinki Commission described loosening restrictions on the use of long-range missiles as “common sense”, and said doing so would help Kyiv to prevent Russian strikes on civilian targets.
Mr Biden has been resisting pressure from Ukraine and the UK to overturn a de facto veto on attacks into Russia using British-made Storm Shadow missiles.
While Sir Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, has privately backed the move, the missile’s reliance on a classified US targeting system means the president must sign off on any decision.
The US has provided Atacms, a ground-launched ballistic missile, to Ukraine, but has prevented them from being used in cross-border strikes into Russia.
“Decisions about how Ukraine conducts its military operations are ultimately theirs to make. Ukrainian command understands that they depend on Western weapons and funds and are unlikely to do anything that would risk losing this vital support,” the Helsinki Commission, an independent government agency, stated in its latest report published on Monday.
“Accepting that they know best how to defend themselves, and giving them permission to do so, will strengthen mutual trust and Ukraine’s sense of agency. Ukraine has shown through its drone strikes deep into Russia that its priority is slowing down Russia’s advance however possible. We should trust Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to pursue this goal and prevent more horrific Russian missile strikes on civilian targets.
“Ukraine must be allowed to strike any legitimate military targets in Russia, and we should encourage our allies like France and Germany to adhere to these same common-sense principles.”
Mr Biden has been reluctant to allow Western long-range missiles to be used for strikes inside Russia amid fears it could prompt Moscow to launch lethal attacks on European and American military bases.
The Helsinki Commission, however, claims in its report that US decision makers had overstated threats of retaliation from Moscow.
“Make no mistake—Russia will continue to brandish its nuclear weapons to deter other countries from supporting Ukraine and to threaten Ukraine directly. Though none of these threats have been borne out after the crossing of many Russian ‘red lines’ over the years, these threats do affect the foreign policy considerations of other states, including US allies,” its report said.
“These fears cannot simply be dismissed and must be assuaged with sound reasoning. It is useful to remember that Russia uses the nuclear threat because it is the only remaining vestige of its Soviet ‘superpower’ status—if indeed the Soviet Union was even a superpower in the first place.”
Vocal supporter
The bipartisan agency, also known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, was set up to handle post-war affairs in Europe.
It is considered influential on foreign affairs and security issues, and has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Its report comes at a key juncture, with Ukraine appealing for more aid for a plan it hopes could end the war in the coming months and amid the prospect of a Donald Trump election victory.
Congressman Joe Wilson, a Republican, said that Russia poses one of the “greatest threats” to the US in his foreword to the report.
He said Moscow was responsible for corralling both Iran and China into adopting more belligerent policies to the West.
“Rather than viewing Russia as a state in transition or, worse, a ‘fellow’ great power, the United States must prepare for long-term contestation, understanding that Russia has a centuries-long history of violent imperialism toward its neighbours, Europe, and the world more broadly,” Mr Wilson wrote.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, has described long-range strikes as a key pillar of his “Victory Plan” to end the war.
Ukrainian military officials have described how the missiles could be used to destroy vital logistical routes used by Russia to ship weapons, ammunition, fuel and water to the front lines in Ukraine.
It is hoped that without receiving the necessary supplies, Russian forces would be unable to sustain their positions and vulnerable to counter-attacks.
However, Kyiv has only been granted permission to launch its Western missiles at targets within Ukraine, including occupied Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
The post Biden should allow Storm Shadows to be fired into Russia, says US agency appeared first on The Telegraph.
