US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to London on Monday and Tuesday for high-level talks with British officials, marking the most senior visit by a US representative since Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party came to power in July.
During his two-day stay, Blinken will participate in a “strategic dialogue” aimed at reaffirming the “special relationship” between the US and UK[1][3]. He is expected to discuss a range of global issues, including the Indo-Pacific region, the AUKUS alliance, the situation in the Middle East, and joint efforts to support Ukraine.
Blinken’s visit will precede Prime Minister Starmer’s second trip to Washington since taking office, scheduled for next Friday. The two leaders previously met in July during the NATO summit, shortly after Starmer assumed office.
While the US and UK have historically aligned on many international matters, with the Democrats seen as closer to Labour than the Conservatives, Starmer has taken a tougher stance on Israel since becoming PM. His government recently announced the suspension of some arms exports to Israel, citing concerns over potential violations of humanitarian law in Gaza.
The Labour administration has also abandoned plans by the previous Conservative government to challenge the International Criminal Court’s authority to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The US, which is not an ICC member, has opposed efforts to target Netanyahu, arguing that Israel has its own accountability mechanisms.
Despite the UK’s arms export decision, the US, as Israel’s primary weapons supplier, refrained from criticizing the move, acknowledging that Britain has its own assessment processes.