President Biden will welcome British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to the White House on Thursday as both leaders look to strengthen the “special relationship” between their countries after a period of chaos in the British political system.
Biden, who often touts his long-standing personal relationships with world leaders, has not gotten that from Britain, which has seen its Conservative Party leadership shaken by scandal and resignation. Biden has had little time to develop any sort of closeness with Sunak — unlike, say, his friendship with Emmanuel Macron of France or Justin Trudeau of Canada.
Britain’s flamboyant Boris Johnson resigned in September, ousted by his party as untrustworthy. Johnson’s successor, Liz Truss, lasted just 45 days in office, after she struggled to right the British economy, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in history.Sunak so far has provided some stability, and Thursday’s meeting will be the fourth consecutive month in which he and Biden have met in person.
Since Brexit, however, the United Kingdom’s influence on some global issues has waned, and the United States and the European Union have made moves to cooperate on artificial intelligence without the British. And while Johnson during his tenure focused on boosting U.S.-British trade, the two sides have not signaled that will be a major focus during Biden and Sunak’s meeting Thursday.Still, Sunak’s visit is in large part about making the case that, despite Britain’s withdrawal from the E.U.
“Just as interoperability between our militaries has given us a battlefield advantage over our adversaries, greater economic interoperability will give us a crucial edge in the decades ahead,” Sunak said in a statement ahead of his trip.Britain’s staunch support of Ukraine, making it the leading European country in offering military and other assistance, has given a boost to its strategic alliance with the United States.
Some British observers felt snubbed during Biden’s recent trip to Ireland, when he repeatedly highlighted his connection to the country and openly wondered why his ancestors ever left, but did not bother to stop in neighboring Britain. Then he
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