Blinken to travel to UK Monday to discuss Middle East, Ukraine

8/9/2024 13:25

        U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to travel to the United Kingdom on Monday, the State Department said, a week after Britain suspended some arms export licenses with Israel over equipment that could be used in the war in Gaza.
        
        In the trip slated to go through Tuesday, Blinken will open the U.S.-UK Strategic Dialogue, "reaffirming our special relationship," Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesperson, said on Saturday.
        
        Blinken will also meet with senior government officials to discuss issues including the Indo-Pacific, the AUKUS defense pact between the U.S., Australia, Britain and the Middle East, and collective efforts to support Ukraine in the war against Russia.
        
        Britain said on Sept. 2 it was immediately suspending 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel, saying there was a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law in Israel's war with Hamas in the densely populated Palestinian enclave of Gaza.