U.S. President Joe Biden praised the strong friendship between the U.S. and Britain, its closest ally, as he arrived at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office in London for talks ahead of the NATO summit aimed at demonstrating Western support for Ukraine. Sunak told Biden while they were sitting in the Downing Street garden, "It's great for us to continue our discussions." Biden replied, "We have a lot to talk about... our relationship is rock solid."
A spokesperson for the British Prime Minister stated, "We want to work with the United States and our allies towards Ukraine's (NATO) membership," adding that it would not be appropriate for Kyiv to join the alliance while the war is still ongoing.
King Charles received the U.S. president on the same day, and the two are expected to discuss climate change, an issue that the British monarch has long championed. Biden arrived in London on Sunday at the start of a trip to three countries, including Lithuania, where the NATO summit will take place, with the aim of showing solidarity with Ukraine against the Russian invasion, while Ukraine's request for NATO membership has not yet been accepted.
The White House stated that "Biden and Sunak reaffirmed their support for Ukraine during talks on Monday that covered developments there and the NATO summit scheduled for this week." The statement also mentioned that they discussed developments concerning Northern Ireland. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted that "the leaders will exchange views ahead of the NATO summit in Lithuania starting Tuesday, which will be dominated by the Ukrainian crisis."
Both sides downplayed the significance of Biden's meeting with Sunak, which is the fifth for them in five months, describing it as a continuation of long-term discussions, although it is Biden's first visit as president to the British Prime Minister's office at Downing Street.
