Blinken, Lammy Arrive in Kyiv          09/11 06:20

   U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David 
Lammy arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit Wednesday, as Ukraine presses the West 
to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia.

   KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British 
Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit Wednesday, as 
Ukraine presses the West to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia.

   The top diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland hours 
after the U.S. presidential debate during which Vice President Kamala Harris 
and former President Trump sparred over the 2 1/2-year war in Ukraine.

   Blinken traveled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with 
Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, calling the move a "dramatic 
escalation" of the war.

   For months, Ukraine has been requesting approval to use long-range weapons 
from the United States and Western allies to strike targets in Russia, and is 
expected to press harder given Russia's latest reported weapons acquisition.

   "We hope that long-range equipment for strikes on the territory of our enemy 
will be reached and we will have it," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal 
told Lammy. "We hope for your help and support in this issue."

   At a news conference on Tuesday, Shmyhal said that "if we are allowed to 
destroy military targets or weapons prepared by the enemy for attacks on 
Ukraine, it would certainly bring more safety for our civilians, our people, 
and our children.

   "We are working towards this and will continue to push for it every day."

   Referring to the missiles from Iran, he added: "Russia's use of weapons from 
its terrorist allies to strike at Ukraine continues their genocidal war and 
terrorism on our territory. We must be able to respond to such terrorism in 
kind by destroying military targets on their territory to ensure greater safety 
for our citizens."

   Wednesday's visit comes ahead of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's 
upcoming trip to Washington, where he will meet President Joe Biden at the 
White House on Friday. Ukraine's request for permission to strike Russian 
targets is due to feature in the discussion.

   Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles across the border 
into Russia in self-defense but largely limited the distance over concerns 
about further escalating the conflict.

   The rare joint visit by the British and American top diplomats was, 
unusually, announced in advance -- a public signal of U.S-.U.K. support for 
Ukraine ahead of what's likely to be a brutal winter of Russian attacks.

   Russian airstrikes, mostly aimed at crippling Ukraine's energy 
infrastructure, have intensified in recent weeks with nightly missile and drone 
attacks.

   As Blinken and Lammy arrived in Kyiv, the U.K. announced it was banning 10 
commercial ships it accuses of illicitly transporting Russian oil in violation 
of international sanctions. The U.K. government said the vessels would be 
barred from British ports and could be detained if they enter.