Here's a radical idea for the PM - how about put national interest first - John Redwood

He is trying to pursue a foreign policy of being best friends with the USA and the EU at the same time, when those two are entering a bruising set of rows over defence contributions, how to handle Russia and above all over trade and tariffs.

The coalition of the willing does not yet have many willing to offer troops to police the long and complex Russia/Ukraine border.

Russia has made clear it will not accept a ceasefire where troops from any NATO country are part of the peacekeeping force so it is difficult to see the point of it at this stage The US has launched the peace initiative without the UK or EU and have stated they will seek to find common ground between the two combatants on their own.
So what is the UK interest that the Prime Minister should pursue?

His main aim should be to avoid tariffs on the UK from the US. His time spent with the President should be mainly on this overriding concern.

The UK imposes fewer tariffs than the EU on the US after the Brexit cull of tariffs. We got rid of many we would be better off without. We have more flexibility than the EU to remove other offensive tariffs to the US as part of a free trade package.

The UK should have sent President Trump a win/win draft of a Free Trade Treaty on his election. They need to catch up now and show how an Agreement could achieve the reciprocity in tariffs the US wants. Going for tariff free would achieve that, or selective cuts to our tariffs where they are higher than the UIS ones would help.

The UK should say it will not press ahead with the carbon border adjustment mechanism, an EU idea which the UK has decided to continue with. This is a big and wide ranging tariff by another name, imposing an extra charge on the US and other trade partners of the UK on any fossil fuel or high energy using products they send us.

To persist in imposing it is a major provocation of the US when they are campaigning strongly against high foreign tariffs on their exports, and when they are such a large exporter of vital gas to keep our homes warm and industry turning. Dropping it would also distinguish us further from the EU who are very much in President Trump's sights for imposing tariffs on 73% of the product lines into the zone and for often imposing higher tariffs than the US as with cars.

The UK has been one of the better countries in NATO, keeping its spending above the minimum and now seeking a further modest rise. It is now in the UK national interest to increase it further to ensure we can defend these islands, if necessary without immediate US military support and assistance.

The NATO guarantee depends on the willingness of partners to help. It is also linked to the need for each NATO member to make proper provision for its own defence.

The UK needs to strengthen its defences against drones, missiles and enemy aircraft. It needs more surface naval ships to be able to put both carriers to sea with a full supporting flotilla if necessary. It needs to ensure renewal of the nuclear deterrent under full UK control. The UK is very dependent on US heavy lift and on shared intelligence with the US and Five Eyes partners.

The UK needs to remember that when it did face long and dangerous wars in the last century it needed the capacity to produce weapons and ammunition for itself, as the coasts and oceans were attacked by submarines and aircraft to prevent imports.

The UK lacks crucial industrial capacity and has allowed much weapons procurement to be imported or to have crucial components in the supply chain coming from overseas. A combination of orders and investment help is needed to rebuild the industrial base. The UK will need its own steel and aluminium supply, and needs to attract more chip production for the sophisticated control systems now needed.

The UK should keep the Chagos islands to show the US it is serious about helping with defence in Asia. Giving them away to a friend of China is not helpful and another annoyance to the US it could do without.

The UK needs to be more relaxed in its approach to the EU. The more it tries to be best friends the more the EU will take advantage of what they see as weakness.

There is no immediate national need that the EU is likely to grant, and plenty of EU demands. It is not in the UK's interest to obey more EU laws or to make common cause on tariffs against the USA by joining the EU's tariff war.

We should be professional and well disposed towards the EU and its member states, but we should only join in or do a deal where there is clear advantage for us.