UK’s David Cameron meets Trump at Mar-a-Lago

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron was expected to meet with former President Trump on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida before heading to D.C. for talks on support for Ukraine.

Cameron’s meeting with Trump in South Florida is part of “standard practice” between ministers and opposition candidates in partner countries, a U.K. spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.

“Ahead of his visit to Washington, the Foreign Secretary will meet former President Trump in Florida today. It is standard practice for ministers to meet with opposition candidates as part of their routine international engagement,” the spokesperson said.

The Hill reached out to Trump’s campaign for further comment.

Following his meeting with Trump, Cameron will make his way to D.C., where he is expected to hold discussions on support for Ukraine with “Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders,” along with Blinken and other “senior U.S. government figures,” his office said in a statement. His office did not specify which leaders are expected to attend the meeting. 

Cameron is on his way to D.C., where he is expected to hold discussions on support for Ukraine with “Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders,” along with Blinken and other “senior U.S. government figures,” his office said in a statement. His office did not specify which leaders are expected to attend the meeting. 

“He will hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the UK’s continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, which aims to redraw European borders by force,” Cameron’s office said.

“He will engage with key figures across Congress to call for them to change the narrative on Ukraine this year and provide the extra $60 billion (over £47.5bn) in supplementary funding that’s going through Congress,” his office continued.

Additional U.S. funding for Ukraine has remained in limbo for over a year amid sharp divisions in Congress, though House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated he plans to take up aid for the nation when Congress returns from recess this week. 

Johnson has long said he wants to pass aid for Ukraine as the country enters its third year of trying to push back a Russian invasion, but his party’s internal politics have made this a difficult proposition.

In February, the Speaker refused to consider a Senate-passed foreign aid package that would have included $60 billion for Ukraine because of its lack of border security measures. Conservatives had earlier killed a border security deal designed to be attached to the bill. 

Johnson’s office confirmed he is not slated to meet with Cameron on Tuesday. 

Cameron is expected to reiterate the “importance of stepping up economic pressure” on Russia and providing Ukraine with the military and humanities support as the war continues in its third year, the UK leader’s office said. 

“Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security,” Cameron said. “This will show that borders matter, that aggression doesn’t pay and that countries like Ukraine are free to choose their own future.”

He also plans to discuss the Middle East with U.S. leaders, including how a “sustainable cease-fire” and the delivery of more humanitarian aid in Gaza can be achieved. Cameron is also calling for a full investigation into the Israeli airstrike last week that killed six workers – three of whom were British – and a Palestinian driver after they delivered aid in central Gaza. 

The Hill reached out to the State Department for further comment.

The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai contributed reporting.

Updated at 9:29 p.m.