US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting in London on Tuesday with his British counterpart David Lammy and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, an opportunity for these close allies to share their determination to help Ukraine but also to iron out their differences over Gaza.
Antony Blinken’s visit comes ahead of Keir Starmer’s visit to the White House on Friday. It is the Labour Prime Minister’s second trip to Washington since he came to power in early July after 14 years of Conservative rule.
While the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom has endured across partisan lines, Democrats have historically been seen as closer to Labour than to the Conservatives.
But for Keir Starmer, a total alignment with the Democrats could prove risky two months before the American elections.
Kamala Harris has re-mobilized the Democratic camp after her late entry into the campaign to replace Joe Biden, but remains neck and neck with Republican candidate Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Antony Blinken is expected to hold talks with Keir Starmer and David Lammy on ways to further increase support for Ukraine, which is waging an offensive into Russian territory as Moscow pushes deeper into eastern Ukraine.
Keir Starmer has repeatedly said he would maintain the position of his Conservative predecessor, who strongly supported Ukraine against Russia. London is one of kyiv’s most important backers.
– “Aligned” nations –
Britain said on Friday it would supply 650 missile systems to Ukraine to help it strengthen its air defences, following criticism from President Zelensky over the pace of military aid deliveries to kyiv.
“Together, we are committed to strengthening our alliance,” David Lammy said in a statement. “In a more volatile and less secure world, it is even more important that we are highly aligned nations.”
Keir Starmer, however, has taken a tougher stance than the Conservatives on Israel.
Last week, the Labour government announced the suspension of around 30 of Israel’s 350 arms export licences, saying there was “a risk” that they would be used in breach of international humanitarian law in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The United States declined to criticize the UK’s decision, saying its ally had its own assessment procedures, even though the US State Department concluded there was no reason to restrict the weapons.
The Labour government also abandoned plans initiated under the Conservatives to challenge the request for an international arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court.
Washington, which is not a member of the ICC, had for its part condemned this request.
– Asia too –
The Labor government should, however, bring great relief to Joe Biden on a subject close to his heart: Ireland.
Proud of his Irish heritage, the American president did not hide his concern when the Conservatives were in power: he feared that the consequences of Brexit would jeopardize the fragile peace in Northern Ireland.
On Saturday, Keir Starmer travelled to Dublin for talks with his Irish counterpart Simon Harris, the first visit to Ireland by a British head of government since 2019. They expressed their shared desire to revive their relations damaged by Brexit.
They pledged to preserve the Good Friday Agreement, the landmark US-brokered deal in 1998 that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
Keir Starmer has promised to review a controversial law passed by the Conservatives aimed at ending investigations into crimes linked to the Troubles, as the conflict in Northern Ireland is known.
The State Department said Blinken would also discuss with his British counterparts Asia, which the United States says remains a priority despite the need to focus on the Middle East and Ukraine.
The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia established a tripartite alliance, Aukus, in September 2021 to strengthen their military ties in the face of China’s rise.
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