The prime minister and President Biden are also scheduled to discuss the Gaza crisis, as both countries face important decisions.
According to Sir Keir Starmer, Russia launched the Ukraine war and “could end the conflict straight away”.
The prime minister has arrived in Washington, DC, to discuss the simmering disagreement with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Sir Keir supports Kyiv’s right to self-defence following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that allowing long-range weaponry against Ukraine will result in “at war” with NATO.
The PM stated that the UK does not “seek any conflict with Russia,” before adding, “That is not our intention in the slightest.”
The UK has provided Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles since last year but, like the US, does not allow the country to launch them against Russian targets due to concerns about escalation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pressing for limits to be relaxed on the employment of such missiles against targets in Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin stated that permitting strikes from a distance “would mean that NATO countries, the US, and European countries are at war with Russia… if this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us” .
Sir Keir responded to his words, telling reporters on the aircraft to the United States: “Russia began this situation. Russia has unlawfully invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this crisis immediately.
“Ukraine has the right to self-defence, and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defence; we’re providing training capability.”
Earlier this week, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with President Zelensky in Kiev. Ukraine urged the two countries to change their stance, citing American intelligence that Russia had received a shipment of weapons from Iran.
While neither politician would reveal any decision, both Mr Lammy and Mr Blinken stated they would pass on the message to their respective leaders before their meeting at the end of the week. Mr. Blinken also said that President Biden was “not ruling out” changing positions.
Sir Keir and President Biden will meet for the first time since the UK government banned some weapons exports to Israel due to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Mr Lammy announced the decision in the Commons last week, citing legal advice that there was a “clear risk” they may be used to conduct “a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.
However, he faced reaction from MPs who believed the measure compromised the UK’s support for Israel, as well as MPs who wanted the restriction to apply to all weapons export permits.
On the same day, President Biden stated that Israel and Hamas were “very close” to a hostage deal, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to reach an accord.