Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
U.S.-UK Alliance Delivers on Global Priorities
In a recent meeting, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly reaffirmed their support to Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia’s brutal attacks.
Secretary Blinken applauded the UK’s commitment to send Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems to Ukraine, elements that will continue to reinforce and add to what the United States has provided.
“We remain united in strengthening our humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people,” said Secretary Blinken. To prevent greater humanitarian catastrophe, the United States has joined in applying economic pressure through sanctions and export controls on Moscow designed to deprive Russia of the resources it needs to keep fueling its war machine.
“We’re undertaking these efforts and more to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position when a negotiating table emerges -- so that there can be a just and durable peace,” said Secretary Blinken.
With regard to Iran, the United States stands with the British Government in “condemning Iran’s execution of Iranian-British dual national Alireza Akbari, which was politically motivated and unjust. It fits a pattern of abuse by the regime: detentions, torture, forced confessions, unjust executions,” said Secretary Blinken:
“We’ll continue to work with the United Kingdom and our other allies and partners to hold Iran’s leadership accountable for these and other abuses. We’ll keep standing with the brave Iranians who are standing up for their own basic rights led by young women – all of this in the face of extraordinary repression.”
The People’s Republic of China was also a topic of discussion. Secretary Blinken “welcome(ed) the United Kingdom’s commitment to deepening its engagement in the Indo-Pacific. We look forward to continuing our close consultation on a host of issues in the region, including maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
On the subject of Northern Ireland, Secretary Blinken affirmed U.S. support for the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. The United States believes that there must be a negotiated settlement to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol that’s acceptable to all sides. The United Kingdom and the European Union have recently made substantive progress towards the negotiated solution.
The United States and United Kingdom, said Secretary Blinken, are “adding another chapter to a very long history of this Special Relationship at a time when it could not be more important and could not be more vibrant.”