Starmer demands $20 billion for Kyiv from Biden and approval for Storm Shadow strikes

According to the report, Starmer insists on holding personal talks with Biden, who is finishing his term, when both leaders attend the G20 summit in Brazil next week.

It is expected that Sir Starmer will also assert that Ukraine should finally be allowed to launch long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory, a move opposed by Biden.

Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the US position on the Storm Shadow missiles during talks in Paris on November 11. The two leaders spent 20 minutes discussing Ukraine in private, without a large delegation of aides present, a sign of the political sensitivity of the discussions.

“The leaders started by discussing the situation in Ukraine, including how best to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position going into the winter,” a source said.

Storm Shadow missiles are produced in the UK and France, but US systems may be used for their deployment.

Ukraine has permission to use them for strikes along the Russian border but not deeper into Russian territory.

Western allies are seemingly working on two fronts — money and weaponry — in an effort to push Biden to provide more support for Ukraine than what is currently planned during his final two months in office.

There are concerns in European capitals that Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20, could force Ukraine to permanently cede Russian-occupied territories in exchange for a peace deal.

Trump has promised to end the war in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia, on the first day of his presidency, and criticized the billions of pounds in support for Kyiv provided by Biden.

The G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next week could be decisive as allies discuss ramping up support for Ukraine. Sir Starmer, Biden, and Macron will all be there.

Loan for Ukraine

One of the main lobbying efforts in London is for the G7 countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US — to fulfill their long-standing promise to provide Ukraine with financial resources.

In June, the leaders of the G7 nations agreed to provide Kyiv with a $50 billion loan, part of which will be financed by interest from Russian assets confiscated after the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The US pledged to contribute $20 billion of the $50 billion, but those funds have not yet been provided. Reports from the US last month indicated that the money is expected to be released this year.

Storm Shadow missiles

Journalists asked Starmer if he had discussed Storm Shadow missiles with Macron. This took place on a flight heading to the 29th UN Climate Change Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital.

Starmer said, “I’ve always said that we support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and we’re stood by that. I’ve also said that on a number of occasions, we need to put Ukraine in the best possible position. t has been my constant refrain for four months now, since I’ve been Prime Minister, in all the discussions that I’ve had. That is the heart of the discussions that we’ve been having.”

However, the Prime Minister declined to go into detail on the operational military issues discussed.

Richard Knighton, the UK’s Chief of the Air Staff, voiced his support for Ukraine carrying out Storm Shadow missile strikes deeper into Russian territory.

Knighton said in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) that “the alternative to Ukraine’s victory is unthinkable” and that it would be “a green light to aggressors everywhere.”

It should be noted that French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed their support for Kyiv during talks in Paris.