Biden Hails 'Rock-Solid' UK-US Relationship

Facts

• On Monday, US Pres. Biden met both British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as well as King Charles III as part of the first stop of a three-nation trip that includes the latest NATO summit in Lithuania.¹
• Despite British concerns over the US' decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine — weapons that the UK, alongside 123 other nations, chose to ban in a 2008 international treaty — Biden reaffirmed that the relationship between the two was "rock solid."²
• Biden further stated that he could not have been meeting a "closer friend and a greater ally," while Sunak also described the US and the UK as two of the "firmest allies."³
• Following a 40-minute conversation between Sunak and Biden, Downing Street revealed that the two nations "agreed on the need to strengthen [their] alliance and maintain [their] support for Ukraine." Biden has also described Ukrainian NATO membership as "premature."⁴
• After the fifth meeting in as many months between Sunak and Biden — reportedly centered around a potential Ukrainian application into NATO — the US president later visited Windsor Castle for tea to discuss climate change with King Charles.⁵
• Biden will now head to the NATO summit in Lithuania, which has been targeted as a key date to approve Sweden's membership in the bloc. Following the 2-day event, the US president will travel to NATO's newest member, Finland, where a meeting between the US and Nordic leaders will occur.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²CBS, ³BBC News, ⁴France 24, ⁵Guardian, and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. Despite appealing rhetoric, Biden's meetings with the UK will lead to little of any real substance. Biden and the US will continue to treat the UK as a de facto vassal state, as the pair's special relationship has dwindled in recent years. While Sunak should stand up to the President on several matters, it seems unlikely that this shall occur.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Evening Standard. The UK is an essential partner and ally to the US, with the meetings between Biden, Sunak, and King Charles intended as a rebuttal against those who cast doubt on the relationship between the two states. Although Biden has certainly taken his time to warm to Britain, China's growing threat to the West and the incoming 2024 presidential show the US' relationship with the UK remains essential.