U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron met Donald Trump at the latter's Florida residence before meeting top U.S. officials and lawmakers, The Independent reported on April 9.
Cameron is visiting the U.S. in an effort to lobby for passing further aid for Ukraine, which has been effectively blocked in Congress since the autumn of 2023, namely due to resistance from parts of the Republican Party.
Trump, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential run, has repeatedly criticized the aid for Kyiv and claimed he could end Russia's war within 24 hours if elected president.
"It is standard practice for ministers to meet with opposition candidates as part of their routine international engagement," the U.K. Foreign Office's spokesperson commented on Cameron's meeting with Trump.
The two men also reportedly discussed the war in Gaza and the future of NATO in what was Trump's first summit with a senior foreign official since he left office in January 2021.
Cameron has previously criticized Trump's skeptical views on NATO. When the former U.S. president suggested he would not protect those allies who do not contribute enough to defense, the U.K. foreign secretary said this was "not a sensible approach" and pointed out that the alliance was now "more essential than ever."
The Telegraph wrote, citing an undisclosed government source, that Cameron wanted Trump to "hear how much we're putting into defense spending" in a "productive meeting" that highlighted the "breadth and strength" of the U.S.-U.K. relationship.
The U.K.'s top diplomat is further expected to meet his U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson to urge the latter to hold a vote on the assistance package for Kyiv.
In February, a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, with $60 billion going towards supporting Kyiv. Johnson has yet to put the bill to a vote in his chamber.
Dmytro Basmat
