British Foreign Secretary David Cameron held a meeting in Florida with Donald Trump, with whom he has clashed in the past over Brexit and NATO, as the UK tries to persuade the presidential candidate\u2019s Republican allies to stop obstructing a commitment to send more U.S. aid to Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Their talks late Monday came ahead of Cameron\u2019s trip to Washington to meet Republican lawmakers as well as Biden administration officials. The visit comes at a sensitive time as the UK, France and other nations try to keep the international focus on Ukraine\u2019s battle to repel Russia\u2019s invasion. <\/p>\n
U.S. funding is critical, but a $60 billion aid package has become snarled in politicking ahead of the presidential election in November. House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far declined to call a vote on the funding as he tries to prevent a rebellion from Republican hard-liners who could sink the legislation and even try to oust him as speaker. The Senate has already approved the aid.<\/p>\n
Ahead of his trip, Cameron said on X that \u201cSpeaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress.\u201d But asked by reporters in Washington why he isn\u2019t meeting the Louisiana Republican, the foreign secretary replied that he is speaking to senators and congressman on \u201cboth sides of the aisle\u201d to make his point that ensuring Ukraine wins is in U.S. interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be people in Iran, in Pyongyang, in Beijing looking at how we stand by our allies, how we help them, how we stop this illegal and unprovoked aggression and working out whether we are committed, whether we\u2019re prepared to see it through,\u201d Cameron said at a joint press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. \u201cI\u2019m here to offer my opinion, to meet with anyone who wants to talk to me about it, to make those arguments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump is seen as the key to unlocking the Republican opposition, providing the context for Cameron\u2019s visit. Facing an electoral rematch against President Joe Biden in November, Trump is skeptical about providing military support to Ukraine and has suggested giving loans instead of direct funding.<\/p>\n
Yet Cameron was tight-lipped about his talks with Trump, calling it a private meeting and saying only that they discussed \u201cimportant geopolitical subjects.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement, Trump\u2019s campaign said the former president and Cameron discussed issues including the \u201cupcoming U.S. and UK elections, policy matters specific to Brexit, the need for NATO countries to meet their defense spending requirements, and ending the killing in Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UK argues that U.S. aid is vital to Ukraine\u2019s ability to continue to resist Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pleaded for the swift approval of U.S. aid, as his country\u2019s forces wrestle with ammunition shortages and delays in supplies of artillery shells from allies that have left them outgunned against Russia by as much as six to one. <\/p>\n
Cameron has a strained history with Trump \u2014 in contrast to the warmer ties enjoyed by his successor and political rival Boris Johnson, who has also lobbied Trump to step up support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n
In late 2015, Cameron \u2014 who was UK prime minister at the time \u2014 called the then presidential candidate\u2019s proposal to ban Muslims entering the U.S. as \u201cdivisive, stupid and wrong.\u201d His intervention prompted Trump to speculate he might not have a \u201cvery good relationship\u201d with Cameron.<\/p>\n
The pair squared off again over Trump\u2019s public backing for the UK to vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum called by Cameron. The Republican candidate\u2019s intervention came as then U.S. President Barack Obama had sided with Cameron\u2019s campaign to remain in the bloc.<\/p>\n
Defeat over Brexit cast Cameron into the political wilderness until Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed him foreign secretary last year. In February Cameron criticized Trump again, this time over his suggestion that the U.S. should not protect NATO countries who don\u2019t spend enough on defense.<\/p>\n
NATO is \u201cmore essential than ever,\u201d Cameron told reporters, adding that Trump\u2019s remarks were not \u201cresponsible or sensible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though Cameron\u2019s meeting with Trump raised eyebrows \u2014 at least in the British media \u2014 due to their background, it is unlikely to hurt the UK\u2019s relationship with the Biden White House. With Britain gearing up for a general election expected later this year, Blinken held talks with opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February.<\/p>\n
During the press conference, Cameron also said that the UK will continue to sell arms to Israel following revised advice from the government\u2019s lawyers. \u201cThe latest assessment leaves our position on export licenses unchanged,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cameron said he would not comment on the legal advice he received. His response comes amid pressure from opposition parties and some members of the UK\u2019s governing Conservatives to outline whether government lawyers judge Israel is breaching international humanitarian law in Gaza in the wake of last week\u2019s Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers, including three Britons. <\/p>\n
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