UK split on Storm Shadow strikes on Russia. Political scientist Kuzio: Not up to military to decide

The UK Ministry of Defense stated that the country does not authorize Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Storm Shadow missiles, despite new Prime Minister Keir Starmer claiming otherwise. British political scientist Taras Kuzio, in a comment to LIGA.net, assured that the country's government decides how to use the weapons.

The political scientist said that the British Armed Forces are under the control of politicians, and decisions on weapon use depend on the Prime Minister and government, not the military.

Kuzio says that there's no Russophilia in Britain, unlike in France and Germany, so "it's not surprising that the new Labour government continues to support Ukraine, just like the Conservatives."

He also emphasized that Britain has always been a "hawk" in the war and one of the first to send tanks and missiles.

"In contrast, Germany and the US reacted more weakly due to their supposed fears of 'escalation.' Thus, the Prime Minister's position reiterates the long-standing more 'hawkish' British stance," he said.

When asked by LIGA.net to comment on this British rhetoric, Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and MP from Servant of the People, noted that this could be an example of strategic ambiguity.

He also noted that the issue of using Western weapons is quite delicate because this use depends on the specific type of weapon and situation, so a unified approach is not always rational.

However, Merezhko assured that there's no need to fear any "escalation" because it's already happening.

"On the contrary, using weapons on the aggressor's territory contributes to de-escalation, as it has a deterrent effect on their actions," he said.

MP from the Holos party, Andriy Osadchuk, in a comment to LIGA.net, suggested that because the new government team in the country is still forming, asynchronous actions are quite possible. He stressed that there's no need to look for "malicious intent."

He is also confident that the change of government will not affect the consistent and clear position of supporting Ukraine in confronting Moscow's aggression.

Read also: Britain doesn't allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow on Russian territory – The Telegraph