Ahead of the trip to Washington, the prime minister pledged to increase UK defence spending - a key ask of all NATO members by President Trump - and reiterated his commitment to putting British boots on the ground in Ukraine as he attempts to lower tensions between Europe and the US and demonstrate to President Trump that the UK is willing to play its part.
But even before the prime minister touched down in Washington, the choreography of the trip hit a little turbulence as President Trump appeared to pour cold water on the prospect of a US military backstop for Ukraine as part of any peace deal - a key UK and European demand.
While European allies such as the UK and France are preparing to put peacekeeping troops on the ground to police the Ukraine-Russian borders, leaders have been clear that US support is essential to containing President Putin and securing that support is the key purpose of the prime minister's trip to Washington.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer brushed aside growing tensions between the White House and Europe over Ukraine on Wednesday, saying he trusted Donald Trump and wanted the "special relationship" to go "from strength to strength".
President Zelenskyy has also demanded that clear guarantees of US military backing and security be part of his deal with the US on critical minerals, but a framework agreed this week by both sides did not include an explicit reference to any such support.
