Washington D.C. - In a high-security meeting room at the British Embassy in Washington, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his team assembled final briefings for crucial talks with US President Joe Biden. The discussions were held ahead of a significant diplomatic meeting between the two leaders, focusing on key international issues, most notably the war in Ukraine, as well as concerns regarding the Middle East, China, and Iran.

Sir Keir, newly settled into the role of prime minister, arrived at the White House in the late afternoon Washington time. President Biden gave him a personal tour of the Rose Garden before leading him to the Blue Room, where the formal meeting between delegations took place. Each leader was joined by seven colleagues, seated on either side of a long rectangular table. After a brief interaction with the press, reporters were ushered out, and the two leaders engaged in 90 minutes of private discussions.

Ukraine at the Forefront
The meeting's primary focus was Ukraine, where the ongoing war has raised complicated strategic and ethical dilemmas for Western leaders. Both the US and UK have provided substantial military and financial support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Yet, one of the most pressing issues discussed was Ukraine's request to use long-range Western missiles to target Russian positions. Kyiv argues that without permission to strike Russian military bases, it is at a severe disadvantage in defending its cities, military installations, and critical infrastructure.

Although the UK has been forward-leaning on Ukraine’s requests, Downing Street has not yet allowed Kyiv to use the long-range Storm Shadow missiles it provided to target areas inside Russia. President Biden remains sceptical about the idea, fearing it could escalate the conflict and potentially drag NATO into direct confrontation with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has hinted that allowing Ukraine to strike within Russia’s borders would equate to NATO’s direct involvement in the war, raising the specter of a broader conflict. Yet, as observers note, Putin’s previous threats have often not materialized into action—though this time, it could be different.

Sir Keir Starmer emphasized the importance of the discussions but avoided directly stating whether he had succeeded in persuading President Biden to change his stance on missile usage. However, Downing Street described the talks as an opportunity for a deeper exchange than what usually occurs at international summits, where time constraints often limit the depth of discussions. The leaders are expected to continue these conversations at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.

The dilemma Western leaders face is how to support Ukraine’s defense without risking a catastrophic escalation with Russia. Beyond military support, the discussion also ventured into the psychology of Putin’s leadership—whether his recent saber-rattling is another empty threat or a prelude to aggressive action, such as attacks on NATO member states or cyberattacks against Western infrastructure.

As Prime Minister Starmer noted, the war in Ukraine is one of many conflicts without an obvious end, marked by the West’s ongoing challenge: how to help Ukraine defeat Russia without provoking an uncontrollable spiral of aggression from Moscow. Both leaders acknowledged that there is no easy answer, and further discussions involving international partners are expected to take place soon.

Middle East and Iran Concerns
The talks between Sir Keir and President Biden also covered the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. The Israel-Gaza conflict, which has raged for nearly a year, was another key area of discussion, as were the broader implications of rising tensions with China. Both leaders expressed “deep concern” over Iran and North Korea’s provision of lethal weapons to Russia, which has been instrumental in bolstering Moscow’s war efforts. Iranian-made drones and other military technologies have been frequently used by Russian forces in Ukraine, further complicating the global diplomatic picture.

Following the meeting, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated that Washington has no current plans to lift the restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US-made weapons for attacks inside Russia. This was underlined by Biden’s earlier remark that he doesn’t “think much about Vladimir Putin,” a sign that, despite the Kremlin’s frequent threats, the Biden administration remains focused on strategic caution.

Amid the broader tensions between the UK and Russia, Moscow expelled six British diplomats on the same day as the Washington talks. The Kremlin accused the diplomats of spying and alleged British involvement in attempting to strategically defeat Russia. The UK’s Foreign Office dismissed these accusations as baseless, reflecting the deteriorating relations between London and Moscow. This comes after ongoing cyber operations, espionage, and disinformation campaigns by Russia against NATO countries, which defense analysts like Justin Crump have highlighted as an escalating issue.

"Russia is already engaged in subversion, espionage, and cyber operations against NATO’s interests," Crump remarked in an interview with the BBC. He suggested that while Putin may test both the new Labour government in the UK and the outgoing Biden administration, Russia’s ability to wage a conflict against NATO is highly limited, given its struggles against Ukraine alone.

As the war in Ukraine stretches into its third year, the lack of an end in sight continues to preoccupy Western leaders. The talks between Sir Keir Starmer and President Biden underscore the complexity of the situation—how to keep supporting Ukraine without triggering a broader conflict, while balancing global pressures from other geopolitical hotspots like the Middle East and East Asia. The upcoming discussions at the UN General Assembly may shed further light on these challenges, though the path forward remains fraught with difficult decisions.

Meanwhile, the US has imposed new sanctions on Russian media, accusing RT of acting as a “de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus.” The Biden administration's ongoing pressure campaign against Moscow, alongside the UK’s vocal support for Ukraine, signals that Western resolve remains firm, even as Putin continues his attempts to destabilize the global order.