The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the American president Joe Biden will discuss today in Washington the possibility of allowing Kiev to use Western long-range weapons against Russia.

Ukraine is asking its allies to lift restrictions that prevent it from striking with weapons that provide it with military targets deep inside Russian territory.

But the Russian president Vladimir Putin said yesterday Thursday that if something like this is allowed in Ukraine, it will mean that “NATO countries are at war against Russia”.

According to British media, Biden, worried about the possibility of a nuclear conflict, is ready to allow Kiev to develop British and French missiles using American technology, but not American missiles.

During this visit, his second to Washington after his election in July, Starmer will meet with Biden in the Oval Office at 16:30 (23:30 Greek time).

“These are strategic meetings to discuss Ukraine and the Middle East,” he explained yesterday Thursday.

Last week, the British government announced the suspension of some arms export licenses to Israel, estimating that there is a “risk” of them being used in violation of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip.

A key ally of Israel, Washington avoided commenting on London’s decision. But, according to the American outlet Politico, the US has asked Britain what needs to be done to change its mind. The answer: a ceasefire in Gaza.

But Ukraine is expected to be at the center of the talks between the two leaders. On Tuesday, the US president assured that the US is “working” to allow Ukraine to use longer-range missiles to strike Russia.

The foreign ministers of the United States and Britain, Anthony Blinken and David Lammypaid a joint visit to Kyiv on Wednesday.

“We will adapt, if necessary, primarily in terms of the means available to Ukraine to defend itself effectively against Russian aggression,” Poland’s Blinken said.

But Putin warned that “this will change the very nature of the conflict.”

So far, Washington has allowed Kiev to strike Russian targets in the occupied territories of Ukraine and some targets directly linked to Russia’s military operations in bordering Russian regions.

After the outbreak of war in February 2022, Biden actively supports Ukraine, providing it with billions of dollars.

The talks between Starmer and Biden come at a sensitive time in the middle of the US presidential election campaign.

As the election approaches, Kiev faces the possibility of a victory for Donald Trump, who is shown in polls to be neck and neck with his Democratic rival, US Vice President Kamala Harris.

In this week’s debate, the Republican candidate pledged that, if elected, he would end the war in Ukraine “before he’s even sworn in.” Ukrainians are concerned that the potential deal presented by Trump would see Russia retain the Ukrainian territories it has seized.

For her part, Harris pledged to continue supporting Ukraine.