U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other senior officials in London on Tuesday to discuss ongoing efforts to

support Ukraine in its war against Russia, as well as responses to the conflict in the Middle East.

During his meetings with Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Blinken will also address issues related to the Indo-Pacific region and the AUKUS defense pact, a trilateral agreement between the U.S., Australia, and the UK, according to the U.S. State Department.

This visit coincides with a statement from a senior Iranian official denying reports that Tehran had provided ballistic missiles to Russia. These reports, deemed "credible" by a European Union spokesperson, were first made by CNN and the Wall Street Journal last week, citing anonymous sources. The reports suggest that Iran had supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia as Moscow continues its invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.

The war has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, the displacement of millions of Ukrainians, and widespread destruction of cities and villages. Russian forces have made gradual advances in eastern Ukraine, while a recent Ukrainian offensive captured parts of Russia's Kursk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to urge Western nations to provide more long-range missiles and remove restrictions on their use, including for targeting airfields within Russia.

Blinken’s trip to London follows Britain’s suspension of certain arms export licenses to Israel due to concerns over equipment potentially being used in the conflict in Gaza. The Biden administration is also facing pressure from critics of the war to reconsider some arms shipments to Israel, a close U.S. ally in the Middle East.

During Blinken's visit, he and Lammy will launch a UK-US Strategic Dialogue aimed at strengthening ties in areas of mutual interest, such as defense, security, and economic growth. The discussions will cover a range of topics, including Europe, Ukraine, the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, and other global priorities, according to the UK government.

"In a more volatile and insecure world, it is even more crucial that our nations remain closely aligned," Lammy said in a statement ahead of the talks. Photo by U.S. Department of State from United States, Wikimedia commons.