National Security Adviser John Bolton traveled to the UK on Sunday in a two-day visit to meet top government officials. Bolton is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the United Kingdom since Boris Johnson became prime minister.
A senior administration official told reporters that the security adviser will seek to explicitly articulate the Trump administration policies and highlight areas where the two countries work together. The Trump administration has previously expressed confidence that the U.S. and UK can have a better relationship under Johnson than under former Prime Minister Theresa May.
Bolton will meet with UK Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Johnson’s senior adviser Edward Lister, new Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid and MP Bernard Jenkin on Monday to discuss ways in which the two nations can exert pressure on Iran and Huawei.
On the second day of his visit, Bolton will meet with a number of UK government officials, including Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Secretary for Exiting the European Union Steven Barclay, CNN informs.
Bolton will not meet with Johnson, the outlet adds. According to the official travelling with Johnson, he will take part in various discussions including Iran, Brexit, trade, Huawei/5G, China and the Middle East, although Bolton is not seeking to return to the U.S. with “a specific deliverable.”
Bolton will, however, voice the Trump administration’s opposition to Huawei and request that the UK government stop using the Chinese tech company’s equipment in the UK telecommunications system. The security adviser will also seek the UK’s backing in declaring the Iran nuclear deal dead.
The official added that Bolton will discuss the Operation Sentinel, which the UK has committed to joining, as well as a potential bilateral trade deal after the October Brexit.
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