Starmer to visit White House for Biden talks
Sir Keir Starmer will make his second visit to the United States since coming to office a matter of months ago, according to the White House.
The Prime Minister is due to visit Washington DC and meet President Joe Biden on September 13.
The meeting will be the second of its kind between the leaders since Sir Keir came to office in July, and comes just two months before Americans go to the polls for the presidential election.
Their first White House bilateral took place as Sir Keir attended the Nato summit just days after Labour won the election.
Since then, Mr Biden has announced he will not be seeking a second term as president following concerns about his health.
His vice-president, Kamala Harris, will instead be the Democratic Party’s candidate for America’s highest office.
A statement from the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the leaders will have “an in-depth discussion on a range of global issues of mutual interest”.
“Robust support to Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression” will be on the table, as well as securing a hostage release and ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza.
Sir Keir and Mr Biden will also discuss the protection of international shipping in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi threats and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The statement from the Biden White House added: “They will also discuss opportunities to strengthen US-UK co-operation 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.”
In recent weeks, the Prime Minister has travelled to Berlin and Paris, as he seeks to build trust with the leaders of the UK’s close EU allies.
On Saturday Sir Keir meets his Irish counterpart Simon Harris in Dublin, in the first visit by a British leader to Ireland in five years and as London looks to reset damaged relations with EU nations after Brexit.
The visit, described by Downing Street as a “historic moment for UK-Ireland relations”, signals a further warming in bilateral ties.
It “marks a new era of co-operation and friendship between Britain and Ireland”, said a statement by Downing Street announcing the visit across the Irish Sea.
Mr Harris, who became taioseach in April, was the first international leader hosted by Sir Keir in the UK soon after his landslide election win in July.
