US Secretary of State, UK’s Lammy visit Ukraine in show of support

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for a joint visit, as Ukraine pressed the West to enable it to unleash long-range missiles against Russia.

The top diplomats arrived in Kiev by rail from Poland, hours after the US presidential debate in which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump sparred over Ukraine’s two-and-a-half-year war.

Blinken traveled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, describing the move as a “dramatic escalation” in the war.

Ukraine has been demanding permission from the United States and Western partners to use long-range weapons to strike targets in Russia for months, and it is anticipated to press harder now that Russia has reportedly acquired new weaponry.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal described the meeting with Lammy in Kyiv as “intense”.

Wednesday’s visit precedes British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s impending travel to Washington, where he will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday.

Biden has enabled Ukraine to fire US-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defense, but has limited the distance because to fears about further escalation of the conflict.

The unusual combined visit by British and American top diplomats was disclosed in advance, sending a public statement of US-UK support for Ukraine ahead of what is expected to be a severe 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.