The speech – due to be delivered a day after the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – will also touch on defence, as Mrs Badenoch will say “we must do what it takes to protect Britain”.
The visit will mark a critical moment for his leadership as he seeks to balance support for Kyiv with keeping the White House on side, and the Prime Minister is under pressure to use the trip to confirm a timeline to raise UK defence spending to 2.5% of national income.
Mrs Badenoch will say that “our foreign policy should seek to support our national interest” and “sovereignty must be at the core of our foreign policy”.
Her speech comes with diplomacy high on the agenda as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer heads to Washington this week, where he is expected to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine while also hoping to contain a growing transatlantic rift.
Kemi Badenoch will advocate putting British interests first and say it is “not a selfish objective” to want to “strengthen our country and to look after ourselves”, as she delivers a speech on foreign policy.
