UK's Cameron goes on the offensive over Ukraine in Washington

British Foreign Secretary urges US Congress to approve Ukraine aid

David Cameron, the UK Foreign Secretary, speaks at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington. Reuters

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron made an impassioned appeal for Ukraine funding during a visit to Washington on Tuesday.

Lord Cameron, who met Secretary of State Antony Blinken before crossing town for meetings on Capitol Hill, urged Congress to pass a funding package that would send $61 billion to Kyiv to help fend off Russia’s continued assault.

“I am so passionate about the importance of defending Ukraine against Russian aggression and I think it is absolutely in the interest of US security,” Lord Cameron said.

The former British prime minister said he was loath to interfere in US politics and instead was in Washington to offer his insight and opinion on Ukraine.

“It is so important that the outcome of this is a secure and strong Nato, with full US and Atlantic support, rather than a setback for the western alliance, a victory for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and a sense that we don't stand by our allies and friends in a time of need,” Lord Cameron told reporters at a joint press conference with Mr Blinken.

The Secretary of State echoed Lord Cameron’s sentiments on Ukraine, saying they had spoken about the imperative of getting assistance to Kyiv now.

The Republican-led Congress has made aid to Ukraine a major sticking point.

In February, the Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill that included assistance for Ukraine and Israel, but Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has so far refused to bring it up for a vote.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said that without US funding, his country would lose the war.

Before arriving in Washington, Lord Cameron met former president Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, a meeting he defended.

“On the issue of my meeting with President Trump, this was entirely in line with presidents of governments, ministers, meeting with opposition politicians in the run-up to elections,” he said.