The UK is falling behind Ukraine's other Western backers in terms of “real leadership,” Vladimir Zelensky has claimed. He added that his officials will “insist” on more “bold steps” from the West.
In his daily address on Friday, Zelensky expressed his intention to “fix” the limits placed by his country’s allies on Ukraine’s “long-range capabilities” which prevent Kiev from fully utilizing the Western-supplied weapons to support its incursion into Kursk Region in Russia.
“The long-range capabilities of our forces are the answer to all the most important, to all the most strategic issues of this war,” he said. He vowed to “intensify our diplomatic work” with the US, UK, France, and “other partners” to remove any barriers.
“In particular, we have seen throughout this war that the United Kingdom has shown real leadership. In weaponry, in politics, and in supporting the life of Ukrainian society… This is what reflects the strength of the United Kingdom,” Zelensky stated.
But now, unfortunately, the situation has slowed down. We will discuss how to fix this. Because long-range capabilities are a matter of principle for us.
“We will insist on the need for bold steps, bold decisions. We need things that truly change the course of the war, leading it to a just peace,” he said, referring to his so-called peace formula, which Moscow has dismissed as being “detached from reality.”
On August 6, Ukraine launched its largest attack on Russian territory since the conflict escalated in February 2022. Western officials have expressed support for the incursion, but denied any prior knowledge of or involvement in the operation.
Some troops involved in the incursion into Kursk Region were trained by British military specialists in the weeks leading up to the surprise attack, according to The Times. Ukrainian forces were also reported to be using British Challenger 2 tanks inside Kursk Region, according to Sky News.
Despite Kiev’s pleas, the UK government has reportedly refused to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to support the incursion. Defense Secretary John Healey stated that the UK was providing weapons to Kiev for the “defense of their sovereign country,” adding that this “does not preclude them hitting targets in Russia.” However, he specified that Britain would not be involved in any such attacks.
Kiev’s forces have repeatedly used long-range missiles supplied by their Western allies to launch indiscriminate strikes against Russia. They maintain that their policies permit Ukraine to use Storm Shadows and other long-range missiles to strike any areas claimed by Kiev, including Crimea, but not “internationally recognized” Russian territory. A Pentagon spokeswoman reiterated this week that the US has not granted permission to Ukraine to use American long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russia.