KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit Wednesday, as Ukraine presses the West to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia.
The top diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland hours after the U.S. presidential debate during which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump sparred over the 2 1/2-year war in Ukraine.
Blinken traveled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, calling the move a “dramatic escalation” of the war.
READ MORE: U.S. and Britain say Iran is sending Russia missiles to use against Ukraine
For months, Ukraine has been requesting approval to use long-range weapons from the United States and Western allies to strike targets in Russia, and is expected to press harder given Russia’s latest reported weapons acquisition.
“We hope that long-range equipment for strikes on the territory of our enemy will be reached and we will have it,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Lammy. “We hope for your help and support in this issue.”
Shmyhal described the meeting with Lammy in Kyiv as “intense” but gave no other details in the post on his Telegram channel.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Shmyhal said that “if we are allowed to destroy military targets or weapons prepared by the enemy for attacks on Ukraine, it would certainly bring more safety for our civilians, our people, and our children.
“We are working towards this and will continue to push for it every day.”
Referring to the missiles from Iran, he added: “Russia’s use of weapons from its terrorist allies to strike at Ukraine continues their genocidal war and terrorism on our territory. We must be able to respond to such terrorism in kind by destroying military targets on their territory to ensure greater safety for our citizens.”
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Wednesday’s visit 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. Ukraine’s request for permission to strike Russian targets is due to feature in the discussion.
Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defense but largely limited the distance over concerns about further escalating the conflict.
The rare joint visit by the British and American top diplomats was, unusually, announced in advance — a public signal of U.S-.U.K. support for Ukraine ahead of what’s likely to be a brutal winter of Russian attacks.
Russian airstrikes, mostly aimed at crippling Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, have intensified in recent weeks with nightly missile and drone attacks.
As Blinken and Lammy arrived in Kyiv, the U.K. announced it was banning 10 commercial ships it accuses of illicitly transporting Russian oil in violation of international sanctions. The U.K. government said the vessels would be barred from British ports and could be detained if they enter.
Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.