Washington DC: US President Joe Biden is set to host United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, next week, and the two leaders are expected to have in-depth discussions on "a range of global issues of mutual interest," including the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza amid other issues. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said in a statement that the September 13 Oval Office visit will mark the second meeting between the two leaders since Starmer was voted as the British Prime Minister earlier this July.


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Discussions between the leaders will include continuing robust support to Ukraine in its defence against "Russian aggression" and securing a hostage release and a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Protecting international shipping in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi threats, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific will also figure in the discussions, according to the White House press secretary.


Biden and Starmer will also discuss opportunities to strengthen US-UK cooperation to secure supply chains and increase climate resilience, the White House said. Starmer visited the White House in July this year and held one-on-one talks with Biden when he was in Washington for the NATO Summit. Earlier this week, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that the Biden administration believes that the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is 90 per cent agreed on, adding, "That's how close we believe we are," Al Jazeera reported.


"Nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated," Kirby said. He noted that several detailed issues remain to be resolved, adding that "that's when things get difficult." Earlier, British PM Keir Starmer was among other global leaders to express condolences on the death of six Israeli hostages, found dead in a tunnel in Gaza.


Starmer said he was "completely shocked" at the "horrific and senseless killing" of the hostages, and said that a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering. "I am completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing of six hostages in Gaza by Hamas. My thoughts are with their loved ones at this awful time. Hamas must release all the hostages now, and a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering," Starmer posted on X.


US President Joe Biden said that he was devastated and outraged by the killing of Israeli hostages. He also informed that Israeli-US citizen Goldberg-Polin was among the people killed by Hamas.