He was cordial, however he was candid.
Sitting subsequent to his finest British buddy, David Lammy, US vp JD Vance politely however firmly spelt out how the 2 nations are deeply divided on the Center East and free speech.
Because the pair met on Friday, first got here the cordial a part of the VP’s remarks.
He started by stressing the “very special relationship between our two countries”. Flattery at all times goes down nicely in conferences between UK and US leaders.
British politicians love to listen to American politicians discuss “the special relationship”. The cynical view, nonetheless, is that it is one thing the UK cares rather more about than the US.
However after the pleasantries got here the candid half, because the splits on the large points had been laid naked within the vp’s solutions to questions from reporters.
First, he was questioned concerning the UK’s choice to recognise the state of Palestine.
“Do you think that’s a bad decision?” he was requested. In a courtroom of regulation, that might be known as a number one query.
Diplomatically, Vance replied: “We have no plans to recognise a Palestinian state. I don’t know what it would mean to really recognise a Palestinian state, given the lack of a functional government there.”
However that was so far as he went.
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Pic: PA
He might have mentioned the US believes it is a horrible choice by the UK as a result of it’s Israel that has to make concessions, not Hamas, and it will not assist the humanitarian disaster or free the hostages.
However he did not.
As an alternative, very on-message, the vp talked about President Trump’s objectives within the Center East and Gaza, which he mentioned had been quite simple.
“Number one, we want to make it so that Hamas cannot attack innocent Israeli civilians ever again and we think that has to come through the eradication of Hamas,” he mentioned.
“Second, the president has been very moved by these terrible images of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. So we want to make sure that we solve that problem.”
However then got here acknowledgment of the US-UK break up. “We may have some disagreements about how exactly to accomplish that goal, and we’ll talk about that today.”
Then got here the query about free speech within the UK. “Do you bring any kind of message to the foreign secretary today on that subject?” he was requested.
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David Lammy is internet hosting the Vance household this weekend. Pic: Reuters
As President Trump continuously claims, Vance mentioned it was all Joe Biden’s fault, for “censoring rather than engaging with a diverse array of opinions”.
He went on: “Obviously, I’ve raised some criticism, concerns about our friends on this side of the Atlantic.
“However the factor that I would say to the folks of England or anyone else, to David, is most of the issues that I fear most about had been taking place in america from 2020 to 2024 I simply don’t desire different nations to comply with us down what I believe was a really darkish path below the Biden administration.”
It wasn’t very refined, however it labored, aside from a half-hearted and unsuccessful try and tease a solution out of Mr Lammy concerning the break up on Palestine. The overseas secretary wasn’t falling for that one, nonetheless.
And let’s face it, Vance was hardly going to denounce UK coverage within the opulent Chevening drawing room whereas he and his household are being lavishly entertained by his buddy David over the weekend.
However the vp skilfully made clear the place the 2 nations disagree. And left nobody in any doubt about that.
