David Lammy, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, found himself in an awkward position when top US officials, including their Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio, didn’t show up for a major Ukraine summit in London. It was a big deal, and Lammy had hoped it would showcase the UK’s leadership on global issues — but instead, it ended up being a bit of a flop.
The plan was for both Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, a US special envoy, to join the summit. But at the last minute, they pulled out. There are rumors that both Russia and the US may have been working behind the scenes to disrupt the meeting. This has raised eyebrows and questions about how much influence the UK actually has in international affairs right now.
Even though officials from France, Ukraine, and the UK still went ahead with the summit, people are wondering if the talks meant much without the Americans. Meanwhile, the US sent a lower-level representative, Keith Kellogg, instead of someone more senior. Rubio sent his “regrets” but didn’t give a clear reason for missing the event.
This isn’t the first time Lammy has had a rough patch with the US government. Back in January, he publicly criticized former President Donald Trump’s trade policies, saying British people would be “very concerned” about new tariffs. He also said the US was returning to old-fashioned protectionism — basically, putting up trade barriers to help American businesses and block foreign competition. That kind of talk didn’t go over well in Washington.
Some experts think Lammy may be damaging the special relationship between the UK and the US. Lee Cohen, an adviser to the US Congress on British affairs, called the summit “an embarrassment” and said it failed to get the attention of key figures in Trump’s administration. He pointed out that Rubio, Lammy’s American counterpart, didn’t agree to attend — suggesting the US might not have seen value in Lammy’s approach.
Cohen also mentioned that Trump values fast, effective results, and maybe his team didn’t think Lammy could deliver. He suggested that Lammy’s style — including past harsh words about Trump, like calling him a “neo-Nazi sympathizer” — may have burned bridges and made it hard to build trust.
“Diplomacy is about being practical,” Cohen said. “You can’t hold grudges if you want to make progress. If Lammy wants to make deals, he needs to better understand how Trump’s team works and show he can cooperate, not just criticize.”
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, an expert on international politics in Washington, went even further. He said the summit “fell apart” and showed that the UK’s global influence is fading. He described the situation as a sign of Lammy’s “incompetence” and said it reflects poorly on Britain’s ability to stay relevant on the world stage.
In the end, Lammy’s big diplomatic moment turned into a reminder that strong relationships — especially with powerful allies like the US need careful handling, mutual respect, and a lot less public finger-pointing.
