It is not our intention at all, Starmer says to reporters on board his plane ahead of Friday's meeting with US President Joe Biden, according to Sky News.
He adds that it was Russia that started the war in Ukraine and that the Russians can decide at any moment to end it.
The statement comes after the Russian president has warned that NATO will end up at war with Russia if Ukraine is allowed to use donated long-range weapons against targets deep within Russia. This includes, among other things, Storm Shadow cruise missiles that the UK has delivered.
It would mean that NATO countries, the US, and European countries, are at war with Russia, Putin said to Russian state TV.
He further claimed that the Ukrainian army "lacks the capability" to handle the high-tech weapon systems on its own, which it wants to use against targets on Russian soil. Therefore, Ukraine needs assistance from the West, which according to Putin would imply direct involvement from NATO's side.
As Biden and Starmer now meet, the question of Ukraine's ability to use the advanced weapon systems is expected to be high on the agenda.
