Blinken to Travel to UK Monday for Discussions on Middle East and Ukraine, According to Reuters

Washington – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to the United Kingdom on Monday, following Britain’s decision to suspend certain arms export licenses with Israel due to concerns over their potential use in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

During his visit, which will extend through Tuesday, Blinken is set to launch the U.S.-UK Strategic Dialogue, emphasizing the strong ties between the two nations, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Blinken’s agenda includes discussions with high-ranking government officials on a range of topics, such as the Indo-Pacific region, the AUKUS defense pact involving the U.S., Australia, and the UK, as well as collaborative efforts to support Ukraine amidst its conflict with Russia.

On September 2, the UK announced the immediate suspension of 30 out of 350 arms export licenses with Israel, citing the risk that these arms could contribute to serious breaches of international humanitarian law amid Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza.

The Biden administration, led by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is campaigning for the presidency, faces mounting pressure from critics advocating for a halt to some arms shipments to Israel, a key ally in the Middle East. A U.S. official indicated in July that while the administration would resume the delivery of 500-pound bombs to Israel, it would refrain from supplying 2,000-pound bombs due to concerns about their potential use in Gaza.

CIA Director William Burns, who is the main U.S. negotiator for a resolution to the conflict in Gaza, mentioned in London on Saturday that a more elaborate ceasefire proposal will be presented in the upcoming days.