London's request to NATO allies to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine at war with Russia becomes explicit: a request aimed primarily indirectly at Germany, whose chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has so far vetoed the sending of German Taurus aircraft to Kiev.
This was underlined by a statement released yesterday by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson in one of the day's briefings and taken up today by various newspapers across the Channel.
"The United Kingdom - said the spokesperson in response to a specific question from a journalist and on the sidelines of the conclusion of a visit to the island lasting several days by the Ukrainian first lady, Oksana Zelenska, guest during her mission of both Queen Camilla and Sunak's wife, Akshata Murty - was the first country to deliver long-range precision missiles (the Storm Shadow, ed.) to Ukrainian forces.
We encourage our allies to do the same."
The Downing Street spokesperson then essentially justified even offensive use of this type of weapon.
An instrument "capable of ensuring Kiev - he said - the lethal support necessary to defend itself and reconquer its sovereign territory".
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