New Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband are reportedly undertaking a 'charm offensive' to mend the United Kingdom's relationship with the United States government, which has become strained following past criticisms from both UK officials and Donald Trump's administration.
Streeting, who recently took on the role of Defence Secretary, has expressed a desire to work with President Trump to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and establish a global coalition to protect commercial shipping routes. This initiative follows a period where the UK-US "special relationship" reportedly soured under the previous leadership.
Streeting stated on social media that he had a "good first call" with US Secretary of State for War Pete Hegseth. He emphasized the close alliance between the UK and US on defense and security, looking forward to collaboration on shared interests in a complex global landscape. The two officials are said to have discussed proposals for a London conference involving NATO allies, defense ministers, and military leaders from approximately 40 nations. This summit aims to reconcile differing perspectives after recent challenges.
However, both Streeting and Miliband face challenges, having previously voiced public criticism of President Trump and his administration. In April, Streeting described Trump's social media posts related to the Iran War as "incendiary," "provocative," and "outrageous," while also acknowledging that the conflict had "strained" relations. He suggested that the US President should be judged on his actions rather than his words.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is also engaged in rebuilding bridges. Within 24 hours of his appointment, he met with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. This meeting occurred at the ASEAN summit of foreign ministers in the Philippines.
Miliband faces his own hurdles in gaining the trust of Rubio, a close ally of Trump, given his past remarks about the US President. In 2018, Miliband called Trump a "racist" and "misogynist" and questioned his relationship with Russia. He also criticized Trump's "scary authoritarian tendencies."
Furthermore, Miliband's "Net Zero" agenda, a priority from his previous role as Energy Secretary, is reportedly at odds with the Trump administration's policies. Concerns have also been raised in Washington regarding Miliband's role in blocking the US from using British bases for strikes on Iran. Reports suggest that Miliband was instrumental in leading Cabinet opposition to the use of British bases for such operations, though the stance later shifted to allow their use for 'defensive' operations.
Amid these efforts to mend transatlantic ties, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a vocal opponent of Trump, has publicly praised Miliband, potentially complicating the diplomatic efforts.
In his first bilateral talks with Rubio, Miliband is understood to have reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the UK-US relationship. The transatlantic alliance was severely tested earlier this year during the Iran war, when former Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially resisted allowing US bombers to strike Iran from British air bases.