- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to visit the US for talks to deepen our diplomatic, intelligence and security ties as we stand together against Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
- In the face of Russian aggression, Britain is working side-by-side with the United States to ensure Putin will fail.
- She will meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to coordinate further support for Ukraine and crippling economic consequences for Russia.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss begins an intensive round of diplomatic talks in the US tomorrow (Wednesday 9 March) as countries around the world continue to hold the Putin regime to account for its invasion of Ukraine.
In Washington DC, she will meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss what more the UK and US can do to support Ukraine on security, intelligence, and humanitarian issues.
Liz Truss will raise the importance of a stronger deterrence against hostile states, and the need to reduce strategic economic reliance on authoritarian regimes, including energy dependency on Russia.
She will also emphasise the need for both the US and UK to build closer economic and security ties with like-minded countries who believe in democracy and the sovereignty of nations.
Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss said:
The UK, US and our allies have shown remarkable strength and unity in supporting Ukraine and imposing severe sanctions on Russia. We need to maintain that unity and do more to ensure Putin fails in Ukraine.
The Ukraine crisis is a wake-up call for free democracies. I am in the US to talk about what more we can do to deter hostile state actors, reduce strategic dependency on Russian energy - and authoritarian states more broadly - and build stronger economic and security alliances around the world.
During her visit, the Foreign Secretary will also hold a series of talks with Members of Congress to discuss deepening UK-US ties and she will deliver a keynote speech at the Atlantic Council.
The Foreign Secretary's visit to the US follows an intensive week of diplomacy in Europe. She spoke at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, met Baltic allies in Lithuania and in Brussels attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council, met NATO allies and held talks with G7 counterparts. In all her meetings she has sought to bring together fellow believers in freedom and democracy to isolate Russia and stand against its aggression.
In addition, the Foreign Secretary announced last week additional UK sanctions against Russian oligarchs, as part of a tough package against Russia, which also includes sanctioning the Russian Central Bank, and banning the Russian State and all Russian companies from raising funds in the UK. In coordination with the US and other allies, these measures amount to the largest set of financial sanctions in history. The Foreign Secretary will use her visit to further coordinate with the US on what more the international community can do through sanctions to cripple the Russian economy.
In terms of humanitarian efforts, the UK has pledged £394 million in aid to help Ukraine - £220 million in humanitarian aid; £100 million on the energy sector and reform; £74 million fiscal support. The UK is matching pound for pound the public's first £25 million for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal - the UK's largest ever aid-match contribution. UK humanitarian experts have deployed to neighbouring countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova).
