Biden, Starmer put off Ukraine missiles decision after Putin's warning

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden have delayed a decision to let Ukraine fire long-range Western-supplied missiles into Russia, a plan that sparked dire threats from Moscow of a war with NATO.

Starmer told reporters at the White House on Friday that he had a "wide-ranging discussion about strategy" with Biden but that it "wasn't a meeting about a particular capability."

Before the meeting officials had said Starmer would press Biden to back his plan to send British Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to hit deeper inside Russia as allies become increasingly concerned about the battlefield situation.

But the Labour leader indicated that he and Biden would now discuss the plan at the UN General Assembly in New York the week after next "with a wider group of individuals."

As they met with their teams across a long table in the White House, backed by US and British flags, Biden played down a warning by Russian President Vladimir Putin that allowing Ukraine to fire the weapons would mean the West was "at war" with Russia.

"I don't think much about Vladimir Putin," Biden told reporters when asked about the comments. Biden added, Putin will not prevail in the war with Ukraine.

Ukraine and many of its supporters in the US and Europe want Biden to let Kiev use the weapons to strike targets deeper inside Russia, and there are signs Biden might shift US policy.

Two US officials familiar with discussions about the weapons said ahead of the talks that they believe Starmer will seek Biden's approval to allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles for expanded strikes in Russia.

Biden's approval is needed because Storm Shadow components are made in the US.

Ukraine also wants more long-range weaponry from Washington, including the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS.

Russian warning

Putin has threatened that Ukraine's use of long-range weapons would put NATO at war with Moscow.

Putin said on Thursday that allowing long-range strikes "would mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are at war with Russia."

His remarks were in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response.

Starmer said on Thursday on his way to the US that Britain does not seek conflict with Russia.