United Kingdom: David Cameron, the UK Foreign Secretary, is planning to visit Washington DC to encourage US partners to provide additional funding for Ukraine. This funding will provide them with the necessary tools to win the war against Russia.
During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will hold talks with Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, to discuss the UK’s continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression. The goal of this aggression is to redraw European borders by force. Cameron will engage with key figures across Congress to call for a change in the narrative on Ukraine this year. He will be urging them to provide the extra $60 billion (over £47.5 billion) in supplementary funding that is going through Congress.
European nations committed over $184 billion (over £145 billion) to Ukraine, with the UK contributing over $15 billion (nearly £12 billion). Additionally, the US committed nearly $74 billion (nearly £59 billion), which made a huge difference on the battlefields of Ukraine and in the waters of the Black Sea.
Ukraine demonstrated its ability to succeed with the right tools. The Foreign Secretary will emphasise the importance of increasing economic pressure on Russia now and continuing to provide Ukraine with the military and humanitarian support it needs to hold the line this year and launch an offensive in 2025.
David Cameron will emphasise that Europe and the US are standing united in their support for Ukraine. More than half of the total support is provided by European countries. He will stress that while European support is crucial, nothing can match the pace and scale of US support, which remains the ‘keystone in the arch’ in the fight for independence, democracy, and the right of free countries to choose their future.
The Foreign Secretary stated that, “Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security. This will show that borders matter, that aggression doesn’t pay and that countries like Ukraine are free to choose their own future. The alternative would only encourage Putin in further attempts to re-draw European borders by force and would be heard clearly in Beijing, Tehran and North Korea.”
“US support for Ukraine has massively degraded the military capacity of a common adversary, Russia has lost half of its pre-invasion land combat power, and a quarter of its original Black Sea fleet, while creating jobs at home and strengthening the Western alliance and NATO,” Cameron added.
The UK and US must defend their shared values and uphold Euro-Atlantic security, especially after Russia’s illegal invasion. The US-UK visit will strengthen ties and commitment to defending freedom and democracy. Ukraine is making progress against Russia but needs more US support to counter Russian artillery on the battlefield.
The talks will focus on the Middle East, including a sustainable ceasefire and the delivery of more humanitarian aid to Gaza. The UK and US continue to support Israel’s right to self-defence. The Foreign Secretary will push for a transparent investigation into the recent events in Gaza where three British aid workers lost their lives.
The UK, US and other partners are opening a maritime route to deliver aid by sea to a new temporary US military pier in Gaza. The UK is also contributing £5m to the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti to tackle gang-related violence and improve the humanitarian situation.
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