US and UK Reiterate Support for Ukraine; Biden and Starmer Express Concern Over Deadly Weapons Shipment from Iran and North Korea to Russia

On Friday evening, September 15, US President Joe Biden met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House. In this meeting, they emphasized support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and expressed concern over the shipment of deadly weapons by Iran and North Korea to Russia. Biden and Starmer also stressed the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the security of Israel, and discussed cooperation between the two countries in clean energy and advanced technologies. Biden reiterated his support for the Belfast Agreement and its role in maintaining peace in Northern Ireland. The growing military relations between Russia and Iran, and the use of suicide drones made by the Islamic Republic by Putin's troops to attack civilian equipment and Ukrainian citizens, have prompted Western countries to impose extensive sanctions against individuals and entities involved in these relations. However, the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia, despite months of warnings from Western countries to the Islamic Republic, represents a new development and adds complexity to Putin's war against Ukraine. Kyiv hopes to gain approval from the US and its allies for the use of long-range weapons to effectively strike targets deep within Russian territory, thereby reducing Moscow's relative military power. However, the US and its allies are concerned that Ukraine's use of long-range weapons against Russia could further escalate the war. Nevertheless, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Thursday that the United States has always ensured that Ukraine has access to what it needs at every stage of the Russian invasion and will continue to adapt its policies in line with changes on the battlefield. The increasing military involvement of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Russia's war against Ukraine has raised further concerns among Western countries, and it is expected that addressing Iran's destabilizing role in Ukraine and the Middle East will be among the topics discussed in the meeting of US and UK leaders on Friday. The shipment of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia has been described by the European Union as a 'direct threat' against them, and new actions against the Islamic Republic are forthcoming. The Islamic Republic's chargé d'affaires in Paris has been summoned in response to the shipment of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia. Blinken praised Warsaw's role in supporting Ukraine; Poland noted that the 'Tehran butcher' policy continues during the period of the medical establishment. The foreign ministers of the US and the UK in Kyiv stated that Putin has escalated the war by receiving missiles from the Islamic Republic. London has protested the shipment of ballistic missiles to Russia, and the UK Foreign Office summoned the Islamic Republic's chargé d'affaires. The US Treasury has sanctioned 20 individuals, entities, and ships in Iran and Russia.