Joe Biden, the U.S. President, has arrived in London on Sunday night to commence a three-nation tour.
As part of his itinerary, he is set to have meetings with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Following these engagements, he will travel to Vilnius for a NATO summit and conclude his tour with a visit to Finland, which recently joined NATO as a new member.
According to the White House, the purpose of the journey was to enhance and solidify the already strong bond between our nations.
Arriving at Stansted airport northeast of London on Sunday evening, the President is scheduled to make a trip to Downing Street on Monday for a discreet meeting with Sunak. This will mark their fifth meeting within the span of just a few months. A spokesperson for Sunak mentioned that the discussions are expected to cover topics such as the upcoming NATO summit and the situation in Ukraine.
As per a journalist from AFP, Air Force One made a late evening landing at Stansted Airport, located to the north of London.
During the course of Monday, Joe Biden had his inaugural meeting with the British monarch at Windsor Castle, which is among the residences of the royal family. This encounter marked their first meeting since the coronation of Charles III.
Instead of attending the ceremony, the U.S. President chose to delegate the representation to First Lady Jill Biden. The discussions between the two sides are anticipated to center around environmental matters, as stated by the White House.
Under the leadership of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States experienced a cooling effect due to their firm position on a post-Brexit agreement with the European Union and Johnson’s close affiliation with former Republican President Donald Trump. However, Sunak has made significant progress in restoring the rapport with Biden.
Reasons of Joe Biden’s UK visit
The focal point of Joe Biden’s European tour will be the NATO summit, taking place in the capital of Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday. During this summit, the Western allies will engage in discussions regarding supporting Ukraine in its efforts to remove Russian occupation forces.
While Ukraine is pushing for membership in the military alliance, President Biden stated in a CNN interview broadcasted on Sunday that this can only occur once the war has concluded.
Joe Biden aims to utilize the summit as an opportunity to exert pressure on Turkey, urging them to withdraw their opposition to Sweden’s nearly approved NATO membership bid. Entering the alliance necessitates unanimous consent from all member nations.
After their meeting, Biden and Sunak will depart from Britain and head to Lithuania, where NATO leaders will convene for a crucial summit. Subsequently, Biden is anticipated to journey to Helsinki for a meeting with leaders from the Nordic countries.
Before returning to Washington on Thursday, Joe Biden’s concluding destination will be Finland. Finland, in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine, relinquished its longstanding neutrality and joined NATO, marking a historic decision.
