French newspaper removes Ukraine missile allegation

(MENAFN) French newspaper *Le Figaro* retracted its claim that France and the UK had authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles, supplied by both countries, to target deep within Russian territory. The initial report appeared shortly after the *New York Times* reported that U.S. President Joe Biden had granted Ukraine permission for such strikes.

The UK had provided Ukraine with its Storm Shadow missiles in May 2023, followed by France's SCALP system months later. The U.S. delivered ATACMS rockets to Ukraine in the fall of 2023. While Ukraine has repeatedly requested permission to strike targets deep inside Russia, Western nations had been hesitant, fearing the potential for uncontrollable escalation.

In its original article, *Le Figaro* claimed that both France and the UK had allowed Ukraine to carry out these strikes. However, after publication, the newspaper amended the report, removing any mention of the authorization or the specific missiles. The original text is still available in a cached version.

France's Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, denied any shift in policy regarding long-range strikes, stating there was “nothing new” on the issue. Meanwhile, reports from the *New York Times* suggested that the Biden administration may have given Ukraine approval to strike Russia’s Kursk region using U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles. U.S. officials have not yet commented on these reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautiously welcomed the news, noting that missile strikes "speak for themselves" and will not need public announcements. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that if confirmed, the U.S. decision would mark a “new round of tension,” with Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stating that such actions would signify direct NATO involvement in the conflict.

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