Ed Miliband will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC on Wednesday, marking his first visit to US soil since becoming Foreign Secretary. The meeting comes amid lingering tensions over his past criticism of President Donald Trump.
Second meeting between the two officials
This will be the second time Miliband and Rubio have held talks, following an initial meeting in Manila at the end of last month. The discussions are set to cover the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the war in Ukraine, and the Middle East conflict.
Past remarks cause friction
The former energy secretary, who was critical of Trump while Labour was in opposition, called the US president a "racist, misogynistic self-confessed groper" after his first election victory in 2016. In 2017, Miliband said Trump had "lowered the bar for idiocy" and later joined a Stop Trump March in London. He also criticised the president's "incredibly peculiar relationship with Russia" and accused him of lowering standards in politics.
The White House had said it was "deeply concerned" about Miliband's appointment as Andy Burnham's Foreign Secretary. Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, claimed the US had warned Burnham's team that Miliband's appointment would be "injurious" to the special relationship.
Miliband's statement ahead of talks
Speaking about the upcoming meeting, Miliband said: "The Government is committed to nurturing our strong, enduring, and essential alliance with the US. I am greatly looking forward to my second meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which we will discuss the ongoing work to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, which is essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families."
He added: "We will also discuss how we can continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine against Russia's war, as well as the importance of addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and working towards a lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis."
Diplomatic repair needed
An ally close to the president previously said: "Trump doesn’t forget. He will not forget. Miliband has some serious diplomatic repair to undertake." Miliband has also clashed with Trump over net zero policies.
