The United States is effectively blocking Britain from allowing Ukraine to fire Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia, amid fears in the Biden administration of an escalation in the Ukraine war, The Times reports, citing sources.

Despite Ukraine’s appeals, Western countries, including the US, have restricted Ukraine’s use of their long-range weapons like ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles to prevent deep strikes inside Russia, allegedly aiming to avoid escalation. Amid ongoing Russian offensive actions all across the front line in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Army launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast more than a week ago, now controlling significant parts of two districts in the region.

According to the publication, over a month ago, the UK government approached the US with a request to relax restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its long-range weapons. However, they have not yet received a response, and this issue has effectively “stuck in their system,” a UK government source told The Times.

UK didn’t allow Storm Shadow use in Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

Another government source confirmed that “discussions were still ongoing around Storm Shadow with allies,” while a third defense source described it as a “routine US process.”

British officials believe that the United States is likely waiting to assess the consequences of the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast before making a decision. Meanwhile, an unnamed representative of the Defense Committee of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada told The Times that restrictions from the West had forced Ukraine to start an operation on Russian territory.

UK clarifies stance on Storm Shadow missiles, denies permission for use in Russia

Previously, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested permission to use American ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow for strikes on targets deep inside Russia, but has been refused each time.

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