Moscow, July 26 (Sputnik/UNI) UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting is seeking to restore the UK's relations with US President Donald Trump, which deteriorated under the previous Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, by trying to build cooperation on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the Telegraph reported.
In March, the Telegraph reported that Starmer refused to send warships to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, despite Trump's request to do so. Trump, for his part, stated that he was seriously considering withdrawing the US from NATO after the alliance refused to assist in the operation against Iran.
Streeting is seeking to mend Britain's relationship with Donald Trump through joint work to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as promising to modernise the armed forces, the newspaper said.
The newspaper, citing a source close to Streeting, reports that the Defence Secretary had held a "very cordial" conversation with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, discussing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
In particular, Streeting discussed with his US counterpart the possibility of holding a conference in London on cooperation in creating an international coalition to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Furthermore, the politicians also discussed the UK's defence spending commitments within NATO.
Trump has previously repeatedly criticised Europe for its low contribution to NATO's defence capability and demanded that all member states increase defence spending to 5% of GDP. The Times said in February that NATO leadership was increasingly dissatisfied with the slow growth rate of British defence spending.
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