"On nearly every occasion President Trump has found himself in front of a camera in the last few days, he has had a pop at the prime minister and at the UK. We have long known the current occupier of the White House is rarely a man of subtlety, but the frequency with which he has repeated his criticisms, often unprompted, stands out."
"I am told there was never a request to provide aircraft carriers in the Gulf, nor an offer to provide them. British sources also point out that aircraft carriers provide a runway where there otherwise wouldn't be one, but the UK has exactly that on land nearby - at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus."
"I am told there have been just three formal requests from Washington to the UK. The first was the use of airfields for the initial attacks, which was rejected. The second was the use of those same airfields for defensive purposes when Iran responded by striking its neighbours and that was accepted."
President Trump has frequently criticized the UK Prime Minister and government in recent public appearances, often unprompted. The relationship between the two leaders has deteriorated, though this presents a complex situation for Starmer. A significant dispute exists over the facts of recent conversations between Trump and the Prime Minister. Downing Street avoids public confrontation with the White House, but British officials believe Trump has misrepresented details of their private discussions. Specifically, there was no request or offer regarding aircraft carriers in the Gulf. The UK has military runway capacity at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Three formal requests from Washington to the UK have been made: airfield use for initial attacks (rejected), airfield use for defensive purposes when Iran responded (accepted), and support ensuring Strait of Hormuz safety for oil tankers (ongoing negotiation). British sources also dispute Trump's characterization of the Prime Minister's consultation process.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]