Foreign Pool Report #1 - Backgrounder

Hello all,

Welcome to the penultimate day of February and the 2nd of 3 foreign leader visits this week! I will be your foreign pooler on this British-ly grey day.

Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s trip on Monday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will visit the White House today - with both visits following the same format.

This will be Sir Keir’s 3rd visit to the White House in just 7 months, but his first with President Trump in office. The visit is being closely watched in the UK, with one former British ambassador to the US calling it “one of the most consequential meetings of a British prime minister and president that we have had since the Second World War.”

The two leaders have met once before in person; sharing a 2-hour meal together at Trump Tower in New York in September. They have also spoken several times on the phone. During his visit, PM Starmer will also “relay warm regards to President Trump and the American people from His Majesty The King and the Royal Family” - per the British Embassy.

I am told that there is a range of topics that PM Starmer will discuss with President Trump.

• Prosperity and security for working people the focus of Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump.
• Special relationship between UK and US critical to deliver growth and security, with further collaboration on AI and tech.
• Prime Minister to reiterate shared US-UK commitment to reaching a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine, and the need for to Europe to step up to the challenge.

TRADE

Diplomatic sources say, “the UK and the US share a unique and historic relationship, based on shared values and a mutual commitment to economic and defence cooperation.” The UK is looking to discuss trade with President Trump in the wake of his recent tariff announcement.

The Embassy says “the UK and the US have one of the biggest trading relationships of any two countries in the world, worth around $400 billion and generating over 2.5 million jobs across both countries. It is a fair and balanced trading relationship, without significant deficits in either direction. Our investment relationship is unwavering, worth over $1.5 trillion.

Prime Minister Starmer will discuss ways to stimulate growth, jobs and wealth for British and American people by accelerating bilateral trade and investment across goods and services.”

AI

Another topic the British delegation wishes to discuss is artificial intelligence.

An embassy statement said: “Both countries are world leaders in AI and advanced technologies, and the Prime Minister will be looking to build on these strong foundations to create jobs and economic growth.

The discussion will have a particular focus on the opportunities that further technology partnerships could deliver. These include a greater alignment on top technologies where we share world-leading expertise like quantum and AI, and a deeper partnership on space.

The US and UK are the only two Western countries with trillion-dollar technology eco-systems, and the Prime Minister will make the case for further integration between the two countries’ tech sectors to make them the most efficient, ambitious technology sectors in the world.

These discussions take place to a backdrop of deepening science, innovation, and technology collaboration between both countries. In AI, researchers from both sides of the Atlantic have dedicated research exchange programmes to share knowledge and expertise in delivering the next wave of cutting-edge innovations that improve people’s lives in areas such as personalised care, autonomous surgeries, and cancer diagnosis – on top of a broader AI partnership.”

UKRAINE

Arguably the most anticipated talks centre around Ukraine. The UK has vowed to take a proactive role in future peace processes; including sending UK troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force. Starmer will discuss this plan further with Donald Trump.

There are still some differences of opinion between the US and the Europeans which European nations hope can be bridged. Embassy sources say “the Prime Minister will be clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine and will recognise the need for Europe to play its part on global defence and step up for the good of collective European security.”

In that vein, PM Starmer will tout the UK’s recently announced increase in defence spending; “the biggest sustained increase in [British] defence spending since the Cold War”. By 2027, the UK will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, up from the current 2.3% - an increase of around �13.4 billion ($17 billion) a year. The plan is to raise that to 3% of GDP by 2035. The plan was called a “strong step from an enduring partner” by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

The Prime Minister is also hoping the US will provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. The so-called “backstop” would act as a deterrent for Russia to break any ceasefire agreement.

On the plane over to D.C., Prime Minister Starmer said “The reason I say the backstop is so important is that the security guarantee has to be sufficient to deter Putin from coming again. Because my concern is if there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him the opportunity to wait and to come again because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious, I think, for all to see.”

A Senior US Administration official said: "Those discussions about the modality of the security guarantee are ongoing with the caveats [Other SAO] mentioned - that there's no US boots on the ground [and no specific guarantee of funding for future war fighting written in to mineral deal], [...] But this is obviously something that's very high on our European allies agenda, looking at what that looks like, seeing what their defense capabilities provide them."

SAO continued: "Whatever force there is is less a deterrent than a peacekeeping force, then I think that would be broadly more popular for many nations. So the type of force depends very much on the political settlement that is made to end the war, and I think that trade off is part of what the leaders today are going to be discussing"

Separately, Prime Minister Keir Starmer also said:

“The world is becoming ever more dangerous, and it is more important than ever that we are united with our allies. A stable economy, secure borders and national security are the foundations of my Plan for Change, and the US-UK relationship is integral to delivering them. These principles will be at the heart of discussions with President Trump today. There are huge opportunities for us to deepen our special relationship, deliver growth and security, and improve the lives of working people in both our great nations.”

OTHER ENGAGEMENTS

PM Starmer arrived on Wednesday evening. He made his way to the British Ambassador’s residence where he addressed a crowd of administration officials, congressional figures and business leaders and “met a select group of CEOs from large US businesses to discuss their existing and growing presence in the UK, and the importance of UK-US trade and investment.” The talks were intended to “outline the strength of the UK offer to investors: policy stability; an active partnership with government; an open, trading economy; and a reform agenda focused on making it easier to do business.”

After his visit to the White House, PM Starmer will also carry out a defence focused visit and conduct interviews with US media outlets.

On his trip, the Prime Minister is accompanied by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, recently appointed Ambassador Peter Mandelson and senior Downing Street officials.

BACKGROUND ON THE PM

Sir Keir Starmer, 62, was educated at Oxford University before practicing law as a barrister specialising in human rights issues. His political career began when he was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions in 2008, where he earned recognition for his reforms and commitment to justice. He stepped down from the role in November 2013 and a year later, was given a knighthood for ‘services to law and criminal justice’.

Shortly after, in 2015, Starmer was elected as the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras (in central London). He quickly rose through the ranks of the then-opposition government, becoming Shadow Brexit Secretary in 2016. He would become leader of the Labour Party in 2020, eventually becoming Prime Minister in 2024 after a landslide election result for the Labour Party - ending the Conservative party’s 14 years in power.

That’s it for now - I hope you enjoyed my spelling of 'defence'.

If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Fraser

Fraser Jackson

Washington / White House Correspondent

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