David Cameron has warned US Republicans not to “believe Putin’s lies”, following a meeting with Donald Trump.
The foreign secretary held talks with the former – and possibly next – president at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
In an interview on MSNBC, Cameron refused to be drawn on the specifics, but said it was a “good meeting” yet private “so I have to be careful what I say”.
Cameron is in the United States to try and put pressure on Republican politicians to authorise more military aid for Ukraine.
Joe Biden’s $95bn package, which included assistance for Ukraine, was easily passed by the US Senate in early February, with both Democratic and Republican support.
But it has yet to be put to a vote in the House amid infighting among Republicans over the bill, as Trump and his allies in congress are opposed.
Cameron said: “I am very cautious because foreign politics shouldn’t come here and lecture people and tell you what to do. That’s not what I’m doing at all.
“I’m really just saying I think there is a real danger to British security, American security, if we allow Putin to win in Ukraine.
“My plea really to American congressmen is this is actually an investment in American security.
“This year, in the run up to November, whoever is president afterwards, no-one wants us to be in a situation where Putin is winning [and] Ukraine is losing.”
Cameron was asked what should be done about the problem of “Putin’s propaganda” having “infected the base of the Republican party” given “part of that problem is Donald Trump”.
The foreign secretary told the US network: “As they say, a lie is around the world before truth can get its boots on and we need the truth to get its boots on.
“Don’t listen to Putin’s lies about Ukraine. It is a free democracy that wants to be an independent, sovereign country, that wants to be our ally and our friend.”
It had been reported Cameron would meet with Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives.
But despite Cameron having directly and publicly lobbied Johnson over Ukraine, he did not secure talks.
When Cameron was last in Washington DC he drew comparisons to the appeasement of Hitler when urging Congress to approve the multi-billion dollar funding package.
The former prime minister’s intervention drew a fierce response from Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial Trump supporting member of the House, who told him to “kiss my ass”.