https://sputnikglobe.com/20230711/rocky-solid-us-uk-relations-seem-uneasy-despite-biden-claiming-otherwise-1111808021.html
'Rocky Solid'? US-UK Ties Seem Uneasy Despite Biden's Bid to Quell Doubts
'Rocky Solid'? US-UK Ties Seem Uneasy Despite Biden's Bid to Quell Doubts
Sputnik International
Although US President Joe Biden hailed the relations between the United States and Britain as “rock solid” during his trip to the UK this week, recent developments suggest that the real state of affairs may not be as good as POTUS advertised.
2023-07-11T09:43+0000
2023-07-11T09:43+0000
2023-07-11T11:03+0000
world
joe biden
rishi sunak
united kingdom (uk)
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Biden visited the UK on July 11, meeting with King Charles III and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a bid to “quell his ‘anti-British’ reputation,” as one local media outlet put it.However, whatever intent Biden might have had, currently the White House and No10 are finding themselves at odds on a number of issues such as the Ukrainian conflict, while the meeting between Sunak and Biden apparently did not produce any meaningful results.Last week, the Biden administration announced its intent to supply cluster munitions to Kiev. This move, however, has been criticized by UK politicians, one of the signatories of the convention that prohibits the production and use of this particular type of weaponry.Prime Minister Sunak himself did not call out Biden directly on this issue, though he did note last weekend that Britain had signed the convention on cluster munitions.Meanwhile, the UK leadership is none too thrilled with the White House’s reluctance to fast-track Ukraine’s acceptance into NATO, despite the fact that Ukraine is currently engaged in an armed conflict.Several media outlets suggest that Biden effectively blocked UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s attempt to become the next secretary general of NATO, with the POTUS apparently favoring the candidacy of EC President Ursula von der Leyen – a move that London is unlikely to appreciate.Lee Cohen, former adviser on Great Britain to the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, also argued that Joe Biden and his Democratic Party cohorts have been less than supportive of the UK’s move to break away from the European Union.The proposed free trade agreement between the US and the UK, the talks on which started back in 2020 during the presidency of Donald Trump, currently remains in limbo, with negotiations on the subject not being expected to take place until 2025.Joe Biden’s unilateral decision to pull out US troops from Afghanistan in 2021, with said withdrawal ending up looking like a panicked flight rather than an orderly pullout, had also been criticized by UK lawmakers.The meeting between Biden and Sunak reportedly lasted less than an hour, although Sunak, just like the US president, sung praises to the relations between London and Washington.Biden and Sunak had also discussed the Atlantic Declaration on economic partnership, which they launched last month, and agreed to hold the first high level meeting on that matter between the White House and No10 representatives, according to a press release by the British government.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/rishi-rolls-out-red-carpet-for-biden-despite-repeated-us-snubs-1111783629.html
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us-uk relations, atlantic declaration 2023, ukrainian conflict, cluster munitions ukraine
us-uk relations, atlantic declaration 2023, ukrainian conflict, cluster munitions ukraine
'Rocky Solid'? US-UK Ties Seem Uneasy Despite Biden's Bid to Quell Doubts
09:43 GMT 11.07.2023 (Updated: 11:03 GMT 11.07.2023) Although US President Joe Biden hailed the relations between the United States and Britain as “rock solid” during his trip to the UK this week, recent developments suggest that the real state of affairs may not be as good as POTUS advertised.
Biden visited the UK on July 11, meeting with King Charles III and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a bid to “quell his ‘anti-British’ reputation,” as one local media outlet put it.
However, whatever intent Biden might have had, currently the White House and No10 are finding themselves at odds on a number of issues such as the Ukrainian conflict, while the meeting between Sunak and Biden apparently did not produce any meaningful results.
Last week, the Biden administration announced its intent to supply
cluster munitions to Kiev. This move, however, has been criticized by UK politicians, one of the signatories of the convention that prohibits the production and use of this particular type of weaponry.
Prime Minister Sunak himself did not call out Biden directly on this issue, though he did note last weekend that Britain had signed the convention on cluster munitions.
Meanwhile, the UK leadership is none too thrilled with the White House’s reluctance to fast-track Ukraine’s
acceptance into NATO, despite the fact that Ukraine is currently engaged in an armed conflict.
Several media outlets suggest that Biden effectively blocked UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s attempt to become the next secretary general of NATO, with the POTUS apparently favoring the candidacy of EC President Ursula von der Leyen – a move that London is unlikely to appreciate.
Lee Cohen, former adviser on Great Britain to the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, also argued that Joe Biden and his Democratic Party cohorts have been less than supportive of the UK’s move to break away from the European Union.
“Biden has shaken the traditional foreign policy alignment the US has traditionally enjoyed with Britain,” Cohen lamented in an op-ed in one US media outlet. “Contrasting approaches and unilateral decisions have sown discord with our trusted fighting and trade partner.”
The proposed free trade agreement between the US and the UK, the talks on which started back in 2020 during the presidency of Donald Trump, currently remains in limbo, with negotiations on the subject not being expected to take place until 2025.
Joe Biden’s unilateral decision to pull out US troops from Afghanistan in 2021, with said withdrawal ending up looking like a panicked flight rather than an orderly pullout, had also been criticized by UK lawmakers.
The meeting between Biden and Sunak reportedly lasted less than an hour, although Sunak, just like the US president, sung praises to the relations between London and Washington.
“We stand as two of the firmest allies in that alliance and I know we'll want to do everything we can to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security,” he said as quoted by media.
Biden and Sunak had also discussed the Atlantic Declaration on economic partnership, which they launched last month, and agreed to hold the first high level meeting on that matter between the White House and No10 representatives, according to a press release by the British government.
