Starmer to visit US for second time as prime minister – but will he meet Harris and Trump?

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Washington this coming week for a bilateral meeting with President Biden.

The trip to the White House, on Friday, will be the prime minister’s second visit since he was elected in July.

In a statement, the White House said the leaders would focus on “global issues of mutual interest”.

“The leaders will have an in-depth discussion… including continuing robust support to Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, securing a hostage release and ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, protecting international shipping in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi threats, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the White House statement said.

It continued: “They will also discuss opportunities to strengthen US-UK cooperation to secure supply chains and increase climate resilience. President Biden will underscore the importance of continuing to strengthen the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”

The UK is heavily invested in several live geopolitical challenges which all predate Sir Keir’s premiership.

The hope, according to sources, is that mutual progress can be made on the various challenges with the outgoing Biden administration.

Britain and the US have cooperated closely on Ukraine, leading a Western alliance that has, at times, shown some reluctance in its continued support against Russian aggression.

On protecting international shipping in the Red Sea against continued Houthi attacks from Yemen, the UK has been a key partner for the US in a mission that’s shown limited success.

The potential for some divergence between the two leaders could come over Gaza.

Last week, the UK announced that it would suspend the export of some arms to Israel because of the risk that they could be used in non-compliance with international humanitarian law.

US government lawyers have not come to the same conclusions about how Israel is using weapons in Gaza but this week a State Department spokesman said the UK was making a sovereign decision that it was entirely entitled to make.

Notably, however, a foreign policy advisor to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump struck a different tone.

Robert O’Brien – who is likely to be in a Trump White House if he wins in November – said that a UK-US special relationship would be under strain if the UK restricted weapons sales to Israel.

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The relationship between Mr Biden and Sir Keir reflects their political alignment. During his first visit to the White House, just days after taking office, President Biden, who was then the Democratic candidate for November’s election, spoke warmly of the much coveted “special relationship”.

“I kind of see you guys as the knot tying the transatlantic alliance together, the closer you are with Europe. We know where you are, you know where we are,” Mr Biden told Sir Keir.

No meetings have been announced between Sir Keir and vice president Kamala Harris, the new Democratic Party candidate for the November election, though it’s possible she will be part of the bilateral meetings with President Biden.

A significant moment would be a meeting between Sir Keir and Mr Trump.

No plans have been announced but such a meeting would be seen as diplomatically savvy, especially if a Harris meeting materialises, and it would not be without precedent.

Former prime minister David Cameron met Republican nominee Mitt Romney in July 2012 and Gordon Brown met Barack Obama when he was the Democratic Party candidate in 2008.

Sir Keir’s visit comes at the end of a week in which US secretary of state Antony Blinken will meet Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London.

Gaza will be a key focus but Mr Blinken will travel with ambassador Katherine Tai, the US trade representative.

Trade and technology are set to be on the agenda too.

The UK is still seeking to formalise a post-Brexit trade partnership with the US.