UK missiles offer may help Ukraine - but they are not what Zelensky needs most

The UK is providing Ukraine with blueprints for Storm Shadow cruise missiles to support domestic production. However, experts suggest this move will not significantly alter the war's trajectory due to the complexity of manufacturing these advanced weapons.
Why it matters
It highlights the limitations of Western military aid and the challenges of transitioning from peacetime production to wartime industrial capacity.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday
The UK is set to hand over blueprints for its British-French designed Stom Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine – following a similar move from France – allowing Ukraine to produce the weapon domestically.
The move sends an important signal, showing that some western nations are willing to share their expertise and know how to help Ukraine defend itself.
But, on its own, this won't dramatically alter the course of the war.
Scalp and Storm Shadow missiles have already been provided to Kyiv by both Britain and France. They've already been used to hit military targets inside Russia.
Burnham to hand long-range missile blueprints to Zelensky as he visits Kyiv
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