US Secretary of State Blinken in London for talks

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in London for a two-day visit that includes talks with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

The US State Department stated that the visit aims to launch a "US-UK strategic dialogue", reinforcing the "special relationship" between the two nations.

Blinken was set to "discuss a range of critical issues, including the Indo-Pacific, AUKUS partnership, the Middle East, and our collective efforts to support Ukraine", the department said in a statement ahead of the visit.

Blinken and Lammy previously met during Starmer's visit to Washington for a NATO summit in July, where they "reaffirmed the importance of ensuring Ukraine has the economic, security, and humanitarian assistance it needs to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity".

They also "discussed the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages and lays the groundwork for durable peace".

Blinken has made frequent visits to Israel since the Hamas attacks on Oct 7, and recently claimed to have secured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's acceptance of Washington's "bridging proposal", which is aimed at bringing Israel and Hamas closer to a deal.

The US diplomat's London visit comes amid growing pressure on Netanyahu to finalize a deal, following widespread protests in Israel.

His visit follows the UK's recent suspension of certain arms export licenses to Israel for equipment that could be used in the conflict in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden's administration faces pressure to limit arms deliveries to Israel, its key Middle East ally, amid criticism of the ongoing conflict.

During the visit, Blinken and Lammy are expected to initiate discussions on the so-called UK-US Strategic Dialogue, which aims to enhance bilateral relations in various areas, the UK government said.

The UK stated that the dialogue would address "key elements of the UK-US relationship, including defense and security, Europe, Ukraine, the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, and other global priorities".

"In a more volatile and insecure world, it is even more important that we are highly aligned nations," Lammy said in a statement before the meeting.

The White House announced that a second bilateral meeting between Starmer and Biden is scheduled for Friday in Washington.

Starmer previously described his July talks with Biden as a chance to "recommit" to NATO and the UK-US "special relationship".

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the upcoming meeting will involve "an in-depth discussion on a range of global issues of mutual interest".