The US-UK Relationship Isn’t Just Special – It’s Irreplaceable

President Trump’s historic second state visit to the United Kingdom this week offered a welcome reminder that the special relationship is thriving under the new Administration. The warm reception the President received from King Charles and the UK government is a testament to the commitment of both countries to keep this indispensable alliance strong.

Margaret Thatcher once said, “There’s a union of mind and purpose between our peoples, which is remarkable, and which makes our relationship truly special.” Governments of different political orientations may come and go in both of our countries, but we remain united by our core shared interests and values.

What we have been able to achieve together, thanks to those shared values and interests, is nothing short of extraordinary. As President Trump said in his speech at Wednesday night’s state dinner, “Together we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history.” Those achievements were extremely hard-won – and we must continue to fight together to defend them.

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During my time in the first Trump Administration, first as CIA Director and then as Secretary of State, I had the privilege of working with counterparts in British intelligence and the Foreign Office on some of the key threats of our time. From dismantling ISIS to standing up to Putin for his use of chemical weapons against a defector living in England, we stood shoulder to shoulder as we have done throughout history. 

Our enduring partnership – particularly on security – is of vital importance, and the UK deserves credit for stepping up to the challenges of our age. The UK was spending 2% of GDP on defense well before President Trump demanded it of every NATO member in his first term, and it has now committed to the new NATO target of 5% by 2035. Britain has provided critical leadership on European security since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – recognizing that Europe’s future depends on reestablishing deterrence toward aggressors like Russia. Of course, that investment is a pittance compared to the British blood that has been spilled fighting alongside us from the battlefields of Normandy to Tora Bora – sacrifices that Americans should never forget. 

The shared challenges we face from adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran make this continued cooperation all the more crucial. Last week, 19 Russian drones entered Poland’s airspace, in what was almost certainly a deliberate provocation of a NATO member. China is determined to supplant the democratic world order that the U.S. and UK have built with their own authoritarian model. And despite its heavy losses at the hands of the U.S. and Israel, the Iranian regime is doing everything in its power to reconstitute its nuclear program, rebuild its damaged influence in the Middle East, and export terrorism around the globe.

We cannot face down these threats alone. We must remain united in pursuit of that greatest of common goals: to advance our own freedom, security, and prosperity by creating the conditions for the world to live under the same conditions.

In a speech in London shortly after the Allied victory in Europe, my fellow Kansan Dwight D. Eisenhower observed:

To preserve his freedom of worship, his equality before the law, his liberty to speak and act as he sees fit . . .  a Londoner will fight. So will a citizen of Abilene. When we consider these things, then the valley of Thames draws closer to the farms of Kansas and the plains of Texas.

Let us pray that it is ever thus and that God continues to bless America and the allies like Great Britain that stand with us.