Until recently, it was known that France and the United Kingdom, following the decision of the US government, had also given the green light for the Ukrainian armed forces to use SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles deep within Russian territory.
One of the sources that reported the news was the French newspaper Le Figaro. However, it has now become known that the famous French newspaper has deleted its article from its website, which means that Paris may not have officially approved the use of SCALP missiles within Russia yet. The article also mentioned the related approval from the United Kingdom for the use of identical Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russian territory.
Both the SCALP-EG missile and the Storm Shadow missile have a range of 550 kilometers and are launched from Ukrainian aircraft.
The reason for the deletion of the article by the French newspaper Le Figaro remains unknown. The article stated that the decision from Paris and London could lead to an escalation of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and would provoke a strong response from Moscow.
Perhaps the article was removed because it was inaccurate, meaning the information turned out to be false. Alternatively, the French or British government may have asked the media outlet to delete the post due to a leak of sensitive information or the "criticism" made by the journalist.
In any case, military and political analysts now believe that France and the UK have not yet given their official approval for Kyiv to carry out strikes against Russia. Sources suggest that Macron and Starmer are currently reconsidering such a decision.
Macron's Reaction to Biden's Decision
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, publicly commented for the first time on the Biden administration's decision regarding military support for Ukraine.
It is a very good decision. I understand that the reason behind this decision is a significant escalation in the conflict, which should not be underestimated. I am, of course, referring to the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russia on European soil," Macron said during the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro just a few hours earlier.
"The only force that is escalating the conflict today is Russia, dragging North Korea alongside it," he added.
