President Biden’s decision to approve Ukraine’s “limited” use of the US army’s long-range ATACMS missile system to attack targets deep inside Russia has transformed the battlefield dynamics in the near three-year war.
It will also effectively give the green light to the UK to authorise Ukraine to fire the air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missile to hit Russian military sites across the border.
Britain has been ready to give this permission for months, as has France with respect to Scalp, as the Franco-British missile is also known. But both countries have been waiting for Biden to make up his mind about ATACMS.
Sir Keir Starmer and President Macron are likely to react to President Biden’s decision by allowing weapons to be used more widely
LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP
On the face of it, it should be a straightforward decision. Storm Shadow/Scalp has a range of up to 250km (155 miles) and would