Antony Blinken and David Lammy arrive in Kyiv as Ukraine pushes for long-range strikes against Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrive at the railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. | Photo credit: AP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday (September 11, 2024) on a joint visit as Ukraine presses the West to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia.

The top diplomat arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train, hours after the US presidential debate, during which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump sparred over the two-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine.

Mr Blinken arrived from London, where he accused Iran of supplying Fatah-360 short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, calling the move a “dramatic escalation” of the war.

Ukraine has for months been seeking permission from the United States and Western allies to use long-range weapons to strike targets in Russia, and reports of Russia’s latest arms acquisition are expected to increase its pressure.

Also read: Trump said he would end the Russia-Ukraine war if elected US president

“If we are allowed to destroy military bases or weapons prepared by the enemy for attacks on Ukraine, it will definitely bring more security to our citizens, our people and our children,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a news conference in Kyiv on Tuesday (September 10, 2024). “We are working in this direction and will continue to strive for this every day.”

Referring to Iran’s missiles, he said, “Russia’s use of the weapons of its terrorist allies to attack Ukraine continues their genocidal war and terrorism in our region. We must be able to respond to such terrorism by destroying military bases on their territory to ensure greater security for our citizens.”

The visit on Wednesday (September 11, 2024) comes ahead of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s upcoming trip to Washington, where he will meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday (September 13, 2024).

Russian air strikes, primarily aimed at damaging Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, have intensified in recent weeks with nightly missile and drone attacks.

As Mr. Blinken and Mr. Lamy arrived in Kiev, Britain announced it was imposing sanctions on 10 commercial ships it accused of illegally carrying Russian oil in violation of international sanctions. The ships would be banned from British ports and could be detained if they entered, the UK government said.