The leaders of France and the U.K. are expected to meet in Paris on Nov. 11 to discuss a last-ditch attempt to persuade the U.S. to allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with Western weapons before Donald Trump enters the White House in January, The Telegraph reported citing UK Government sources.
According to the newspaper, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron hope President Joe Biden will give the approval sought by Kyiv for months as a step towards cementing his foreign policy legacy.
“We are very keen to make sure we can make the most of the time between now and Jan. 20 (when Trump takes office) and not just put everything on hold until the next administration,” one source was quoted as saying.
Trump's comments on Ukraine have emphasized speedy results over long-term support, and he has refrained from saying he wants Ukraine to prevail over Russia.
He has repeatedly promised to end the war "in 24 hours,' and though he hasn't yet elaborated a plan, it is largely expected to involve Ukraine ceding land to Russia.
However, with six weeks left to Trump’s inauguration, outgoing U.S. President Biden could make decisions that he would have not made before, unburdened by the election campaign and responsibilities of another term in office.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's concerted campaign to get permission to use Western-supplied weapons like the U.S-made ATACMs and the U.K's Storm Shadows to strike deep inside Russia has, to date, failed.
In his latest call he highlighted how Ukraine could preemptively target "every camp" in Russia where North Korean troops are currently gathering.
This would be on top of some of the airbases from which Russia launches missile attacks against Ukrainian cities.
"I think the Biden administration would be very well advised simply to just drop its objections," Ambassador Kurt Volker, who served as the U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations in 2017-2019, told the Kyiv Independent last week.
"Just let Ukraine use the weapons we've given them. And this can be done quietly, it doesn't have to be a big announcement. It can be done on a case-by-case basis, if the Biden administration insists," he added.
"But there's no justification for allowing Russia to attack Ukraine from anywhere, and to tell Ukraine that they must not strike back."
Chris York
