The UK defence secretary, John Healey, is set to travel to Washington on Wednesday for a two-day visit, during which he will meet with his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth. This meeting comes after the Trump administration’s decision to halt all military aid to Ukraine, which caught the UK off guard.

Healey will discuss the emerging peace proposals that were talked about in London by European leaders on Sunday. However, it remains unclear whether he will push for the military freeze to be reversed. Healey stated that the UK will continue to engage in dialogue with friends and allies to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine.

The meeting between Healey and Hegseth will mark the first face-to-face encounter between senior members of the two administrations since the White House reprimanded Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and decided to stop future aid.

US secretary of defense Pete Hegseth is pictured alongside this text.

Keir Starmer had previously stated that he did not expect the US to cut military aid for Ukraine. However, it was revealed overnight that US president Donald Trump took such an action after a White House meeting where Hegseth was present. Downing Street downplayed suggestions that they were caught off guard by Trump’s decision, stating that discussions are ongoing and emphasizing the shared goal of finding peace in Ukraine.

The defence sources stated that Healey’s trip was planned before the current events unfolded and had been in discussion with Hegseth about the UK’s commitment to increase military spending.

The meeting will cover the plan for peace in Ukraine being worked on by the US, UK, and France, as well as other mutual defense issues, including combating Islamic State in the Middle East. The UK and France are hoping that the US will provide a military “backstop” to support Ukraine peace proposals being developed by Starmer, Macron, and other European leaders.

Starmer had previously failed to persuade Trump during their meeting at the White House, which was followed by Trump’s attack on Zelenskyy, potentially straining transatlantic relations.

Despite their tensions, Starmer has remained in close contact with Trump and spoke to him again on Monday night. Starmer’s spokesperson stated that the PM’s message to his cabinet was consistent with what he had told Trump and emphasized the US’s vital role as an ally in pursuing a plan for lasting peace.

Starmer also spoke to Zelenskyy on Tuesday, acting as a mediator between the leaders of Ukraine and the US, who have not spoken directly since their dispute last Friday. The two leaders discussed peace proposals suggested by Zelenskyy, including a “truce in the sky” and a ban on targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure.

Starmer will not attend a special summit of EU leaders on Thursday to discuss continued support for Ukraine, but he will participate in a broader call involving European leaders on Friday.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/05/uk-defence-secretary-to-fly-to-washington-to-discuss-ukraine