“The aim for this meeting is to provide time for a more detailed, deeper discussion that goes beyond the usual format of bilateral meetings and the regular phone calls that they have,” the prime minister’s spokesperson said.
“It’s also an opportunity for the UK and US to have a deeper strategic discussion before summits where we will be engaging with wider partners, for example, at Unga and the G20 coming up,” she added.
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, will be in London on Tuesday for a discussion with David Lammy, the foreign secretary, on the Middle East and Ukraine. He is also likely to see Starmer before his meeting with Biden.
The Starmer-Biden meeting is taking place a fortnight after the UK diverged from the US by suspending some arms sales to Israel, saying there is a “clear risk” the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international law.
The US, which is Israel’s primary supplier of weapons, responded to the decision by saying that Britain had its own process to make assessments.
