On the eve of Russia’s decision to expel British diplomats, U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer touched down in Washington late Thursday for his second meeting with President Biden.
On Friday, before his White House meeting, Starmer engaged with American business leaders, promoting an upcoming U.K. Investment Summit set for mid-October. Yet, the heart of the visit was his face-to-face with Biden, will center on a broad array of foreign policy concerns, including the war in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, and the growing influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.
A key topic on the table is the question of authorizing long-range missile use in Ukraine. Moscow has strongly warned that such a move, involving U.S. ATACMS or the Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles, would signal that NATO and its allies are in direct conflict with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already stated that any decision to allow these strikes within Russian borders “will mean that NATO countries, the U.S., and European countries are at war with Russia.”
Ahead of the meeting, John Kirby sought to lower tensions. “I wouldn’t be looking for an announcement today about long-range strike capabilities inside Russia,” Kirby stated. “There’s no change to our policy with respect to that.”
Kirby underscored the significance of the bilateral meeting, noting that it offered the leaders a chance for a more detailed discussion following their brief interaction in July.
“This is a new British government. They are a key ally and partner,” he said. “It just follows logic that the two leaders would want another opportunity to have a substantive discussion, especially on foreign policy.”
Photos of Starmer and Biden are expected from inside the Oval Office, where the two leaders will sit at the historic Resolute Desk — crafted from the oak timbers of HMS Resolute, a British Arctic exploration ship, and presented to President Rutherford Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880. Following this, the leaders will take a brief walk along the White House Colonnade before a scheduled press pool event in the Blue Room, set for 4:30 p.m. EST.
Starmer is accompanied by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, National Security Adviser Sir Tim Barrow, and British Ambassador to the U.S., Dame Karen Pierce. The meeting, slated to last approximately 90 minutes, will cap off Starmer’s brief but consequential trip to Washington.
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