David Cameron was snubbed by the speaker of the US House of Representatives after he asked to discuss aid to Ukraine during his trip to Washington.
Mike Johnson, a loyal ally of Donald Trump who refused to vote on a bill to send $60 billion in weapons to kyiv, reportedly said he couldn’t find time in his schedule to sit down with the Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday. .
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton was in the United States for talks with former President Donald Trump on Monday and with his American counterpart, Antony Blinken, yesterday.
Discussions with Blinken focused on what can be done to help the Palestinians if the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) invade Rafah in southern Gaza.
The meeting came after hopes for a breakthrough in peace negotiations were dashed, six months after Hamas’ deadly terrorist attack on Israel sparked retaliation that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron holds a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington, US, April 9, 2024.
Mike Johnson, a loyal ally of Donald Trump who refused to vote on a bill to send $60 billion in weapons to kyiv, reportedly said he couldn’t find time in his schedule to sit down with the Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
Lord Cameron was in the United States on Monday for talks with former President Donald Trump.
Despite the face-to-face meeting, it is understood that Lord Cameron and Mr Johnson are personally exchanging messages, with British delegates believing a conversation could be arranged later.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators handed Hamas a proposal calling for a temporary pause in hostilities to get Israeli hostages out of Gaza and provide assistance before the two sides negotiate a lasting peace.
But an official from the terror group said: “The Israeli position remains intransigent and does not meet any of the demands of our people. »
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Lord Cameron said the West was developing a “plan B” if a ceasefire could not be agreed.
He said: “We have a clear Plan A on how we will end this conflict. We are taking a temporary pause, we are transforming it into a lasting ceasefire.
“But we need to think about what Plan B is…I think that’s something we’ll have to look at and what we were talking about today.”
The former prime minister also rejected growing calls to suspend arms sales to Israel, but insisted he was “more concerned” about the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza.
When asked, he also refused to publish any legal advice that had been given to the UK government regarding the sales, adding that he had “considered the latest advice” and that the UK’s position “was in line with that of international partners.
“With regard to Israel and international humanitarian law, and as required by the UK’s robust arms export control regime, I have now reviewed the most recent advice on the situation in Gaza and Israel’s conduct of his military campaign,” Lord Cameron said.
“The latest assessment leaves our position on export licenses unchanged,” he added. “Let me be clear, however, we continue to have serious concerns regarding the issue of humanitarian access to Gaza. »
Pressure has mounted in recent days after three Britons and a Canadian with dual citizenship were among seven World Central Kitchen aid workers who were killed last week in an Israeli strike, which the military said accident.
In a recent letter, more than 600 British lawyers, including former Supreme Court judges, said Britain risks violating international law by exporting arms to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, February 18, 2024.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Mr Blinkin, Lord Cameron compared the war between Ukraine and Russia to the Allies landing on D-Day to defeat the Nazis in 1944.
Lord Cameron met former President Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
The Foreign Secretary became the first British minister to meet Mr Trump since his dramatic departure from the White House three years ago.
The two discussed aid to Ukraine, the upcoming UK and US elections, NATO, Brexit – and their admiration for the late Queen.
Lord Cameron is, however, expected to have received pushback in his lobbying, as the Republican presidential candidate is strongly opposed to giving more money to kyiv.
The foreign minister has previously stressed that he did not make the trip to the United States to “lecture” politicians on the need to give more money to Ukraine, but he did say that he could become “emotional” when talking about the fate of Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Mr Blinkin, Lord Cameron compared the war between Ukraine and Russia to the Allies landing on D-Day to defeat the Nazis in 1944.
He said: “For me this is fundamental to the way that Britain and America have worked together over the years, decades, to keep our world safe and strengthen our security.”
“I think of my grandfather landing on the beaches of Normandy under the cover of an American warship. I think about how I worked with President Obama to confront the threat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
“How we tracked down those terrible British and American hostage killers in the Syrian desert. Jihadi John and others.
“For me it’s the same thing. We face a huge threat from an aggressive Putin who would take territory from other countries by force and it is so important that we stay united.”
In Lord Cameron’s memoir, published in 2019, he said Mr Trump won the Republican nomination because of his “protectionist, xenophobic and misogynistic interventions”.
The White House said it was aware of Lord Cameron’s meeting with Mr Trump before it took place.
His meeting with Mr Trump is likely to be difficult, as Lord Cameron has made a series of comments critical of the former Republican leader.
In 2016, he called the former president “divisive, stupid and wrong,” leading Mr. Trumpt to respond: “It looks like we’re not going to have a very good relationship.” »
In Lord Cameron’s memoir, published in 2019, he said Mr Trump won the Republican nomination because of his “protectionist, xenophobic and misogynistic interventions”.
The White House said it was aware of Lord Cameron’s meeting with Mr Trump before it took place.
U.S. national security adviser Jack Sullivan declined to say whether Biden’s administration thought the discussion would be helpful, according to the Times.
dailymail us
