Starmer Heads to D.C. To Try To Salvage the U.S.-U.K. ‘Special Relationship’

Feb. 27—British geopolitical strategy to prevent peace with Russia at all costs depends on the demonization of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and roping the U.S. into backing the British intention of marching off to war against Russia. Both elements were present in a statement by U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, issued Feb. 25 and in a speech to the House of Commons, in which he announced an accelerated plan to increase military spending to 3% of GDP while justifying it as necessary against that intractable enemy of Britain, Russia. Both statements were delivered two days before Starmer is set to fly off to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump today.

Topmost on Starmer’s agenda is to try to salvage the U.S.-U.K. special relationship, which has been at the heart of the unipolar world order since the demise of Franklin Roosevelt. Starmer is also desperate to make sure that real peace does not break out in Ukraine.

“Putin’s aggression does not stop in Ukraine,” said the Labour fool rpresenting the bloodiest empire in modern history. "Russian spy ships menace our waters. Russian planes enter our airspace. Russian cyber-attacks hit our NHS. And just seven years ago—there was a Russian chemical weapons attack, in broad daylight. On the streets of Salisbury. We can’t hide from this.

“I know people have felt the impact of this conflict through rising bills and prices,” Starmer went on. “But unless Ukraine is properly protected from Putin then Europe will only become more unstable—and that will hurt us even more. Furthermore, the great lesson of our history is that tyrants like Putin only respond to strength.”

As for what Britain will do about it, “We will keep our manifesto commitment to spend 2.5% of our GDP on defense,” Starmer said. “But in light of the grave threats we face, we will bring that target forward so we meet it in 2027. That is an increase of £13.4 billion year on year compared to where we are today. And we will go further…. We will also set a clear ambition for Defense spending to rise to 3% of GDP in the next Parliament.”

But it’s not just a military buildup. It’s also a jobs program. “We will make sure this investment maximizes British jobs, British growth, British skills and British innovation,” he said.

And initially, at least, the military buildup will be paid for by a reduction in British foreign aid from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3%.

Aside from repeating all of the foregoing in his Commons speech, Starmer also argued that the U.S. is key to British strategy. “We must reject any false choice between our allies, between one side of the Atlantic or the other,” he said. “That is against our history—country and party—because it is against our fundamental national interest. The U.S. is our most important bilateral alliance. It straddles everything from nuclear technology, to NATO, to Five Eyes, AUKUS and beyond.”

Therefore, when Starmer comes to Washington tomorrow to meet Trump, “I will be clear. I want this relationship to go from strength to strength.”