U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Britain on Tuesday for talks in London with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The discussions aim to demonstrate commitment to supporting Ukraine and to address differences between the two sides on Gaza, according to AFP

Blinken's visit comes just days before a planned visit by Starmer to the White House on Friday

This will be Starmer's second visit to Washington since taking office, following his Labour Party's victory in the July elections, which ended 14 years of Conservative rule

While the "special relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom has continued despite partisan divisions, Democrats are historically seen as closer to the Labour Party than the Conservatives

However, Starmer believes that complete alignment with Democratic policies could be risky just two months before the U.S. presidential election, which is set to be a heated contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump

On Tuesday, Blinken will discuss with Starmer and Lammy ways to enhance support for Ukraine, which continues its offensive in Russian-held areas while Russian forces persist in the eastern part of Ukraine

Starmer has repeatedly stated that he will maintain his predecessor's Conservative policy of robust support for Ukraine against Russia, with London being one of Kyiv's major supporters.