Biden and Starmer meet as Russia warns of potential 'direct war' with Nato

Ukraine pleads with US and UK to allow it to strike deeper into Russia with long-range missiles

US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met at the White House on Friday for talks on Ukraine and Gaza, as Russia reiterated warnings of the possibility of war with Nato.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants the US and UK to loosen restrictions on long-range missiles and strike deeper into Russian territory in an effort to counter Moscow's air assaults that have struck infrastructure and killed dozens of Ukrainians in recent days.

As they met in the Oval Office, Mr Biden told Mr Starmer that the US and UK would stand together to help Ukraine “as it defends against Russia's onslaught of aggression”.

“It’s clear that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not prevail in this war. The people of Ukraine will prevail,” Mr Biden said.

But the White House moved to tamp down speculation a change in US policy on use of the weapons was imminent.

“There is no change to our view on the provision of long-range strike capabilities for Ukraine to use inside Russia, and I wouldn't expect any sort of major announcement in that regard coming out of the discussions, certainly not from our side,” White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters earlier.

Mr Starmer was expected to press Mr Biden to give him approval to allow Kyiv to fire British Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of more than 250km, inside Russia.

“I think the next few weeks and months could be crucial, very, very important, that we support Ukraine in this vital war of freedom,” Mr Starmer told the President.

Ukraine already has limited permission to strike inside Russia, close to the border, to thwart attacks originating from there.

Vladimir Putin threatens West against letting Ukraine fire long-range missiles into Russia

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At the United Nations, meanwhile, Moscow's ambassador told the Security Council that Nato would be conducting “direct war” against Russia if the West allows Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russian territory.

Vasily Nebenzya's comments come a day after Mr Putin issued a similar warning.

“If the decision to lift restrictions is really taken, that will mean that from that moment, Nato countries are conducting direct war with Russia,” Mr Nebenzya told the Security Council.

“In this case, we will have to, as you understand, take the relevant decisions with all the consequences for this that the western aggressors would incur.

“We're not talking about a game here. The facts are that Nato will be a direct party to hostilities against a nuclear power. I think you shouldn't forget about this.”

Mr Starmer’s visit to Washington follows British Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s trip to Kyiv alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Concern over escalation is one of the reasons why consent has not yet been given.

Mr Zelenskyy on Friday expressed his frustration at the continued restrictions on the use of western weaponry against Russia. Although the US and UK have hinted they may change tack on missile restrictions, the policy of not allowing Kyiv to strike deep into Russia remains.

“It's difficult to repeatedly hear, 'We are working on this,' while Putin continues to burn down our cities and villages,” Mr Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Tensions are flaring after the West accused Iran of supplying hundreds of missiles to use against Ukraine.

On what is Mr Starmer’s second trip to the US as Prime Minister, after attending the Nato summit in July, the conflicts in the Middle East will be on the agenda, along with any progress that could be made towards the release of hostages and a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Gaza war.

“We'll discuss our work to secure a deal in the Middle East, release the many hostages that are being held by Hamas, bring an immediate ceasefire, increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Mr Biden said.

A US Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) is test fired in North Carolina at the White Sands Missile Range in 2021. US Army via AP