U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Britain today, Sunday, for a brief visit during which he will meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and discuss climate change issues with King Charles before the upcoming NATO summit. The White House noted that the visit aims to "further strengthen the close relationship between our countries."
In an interview with CNN, Biden urged caution regarding Ukraine's efforts to join NATO, stating that the alliance could be drawn into war with Russia due to mutual defense agreements. Biden said, "I don't believe there is a consensus within NATO about whether Ukraine should be brought in at this moment, amid the war."
Biden will visit the British government's headquarters at Downing Street on Monday for a meeting with Sunak, marking their fifth meeting in several months and just one month after agreeing on the "Atlantic Declaration" and collaborating on advanced technology, clean energy, and critical minerals. A spokesperson for Sunak indicated that their discussions will likely encompass the upcoming NATO summit and Ukraine.
Sunak, in a statement released by his office on Saturday, noted that "as we face unprecedented new challenges to our physical and economic security, our alliances have become more important than ever." He added, "The UK is the key European ally in NATO; we are the most important trading, defense, and diplomatic partner for the United States, and we are at the forefront of supplying Ukraine with the support it needs on the battlefield."
Sunak has made strides in repairing relations with Biden, which had cooled during the terms of his predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, due to their hardline stance on post-Brexit agreements and Johnson's close ties with former President Donald Trump.
For Biden, the highlight of the trip will be his meeting with King Charles at Windsor Castle, west of London, where the late Queen Elizabeth hosted former President Barack Obama in 2016, and Donald Trump in 2018. After the meeting, Biden and Sunak will leave Britain and head to the Lithuanian capital for discussions with NATO leaders there on Tuesday and Wednesday. Subsequently, Biden is expected to travel to Helsinki to meet with leaders of Nordic countries.
The focus of Biden's visit to Lithuania will be his speech at Vilnius University on Wednesday evening. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan indicated that the speech will cover Biden's vision of "a strong and confident America surrounded by strong and confident allies and partners to face the major challenges of our time, from Russian aggression in Ukraine to the climate crisis."
