Former prime minister Boris Johnson and five former British defense secretaries have urged Keir Starmer to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russian territory, even without the green light from the US, according to the Sunday Times .

As reported by the British newspaper, five former defense secretaries – Grant Spash, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordant and Liam Fox – are urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to hesitate to give the green light to Kiev to use long-range missiles , warning that “further delay will embolden President (of Russia) Putin.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been appealing for months to allies to allow Kiev to fire Western missiles at targets in Russia, using US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow, among others, in order to limit the ability of Russian forces to launch attacks in his country.

Starmer discussed the issue with US President Joe Biden when they met in Washington on Friday, but no decision was announced.

Some US officials are concerned about the impact the use of long-range missiles would have on the Ukrainian armed forces’ fight against Russian invaders.

Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin has warned that if the West allows Kiev to use the long-range missiles it supplies to hit targets on Russian soil, it would mean “NATO countries are at war with Russia”.