U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold wide-ranging talks at the White House
UPDATE – Fri 09 Jun 23 12:18 AM
AP Photo
Washington: U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launched wide-ranging talks at the White House on Thursday, vowing to work together as the world struggles to adapt to rapid economic, political and technological change.
The Oval Office talks between the two leaders are expected to cover the war in Ukraine, China, economic security, international cooperation in regulating the growing field of artificial intelligence and more. Biden and Sunak have met face-to-face four times since Sunak became prime minister in October, but the meeting in Washington will offer the two leaders the most lasting opportunity to interact to date.
“We’re going to put our values first,” Biden said.
Sunak reflected on the key Oval Office conversations their respective predecessors had over the years and acknowledged that both he and Biden faced difficult moments of their own. The visit to Washington is Sunak’s first since becoming prime minister last October.
“Our economy is going through the biggest transformation since the Industrial Revolution, as new technologies offer incredible opportunities. But also give our adversaries more tools,” Sunak said.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago is expected to be high on the agenda. , and eventually equip Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
Sunak also wants to make the case to Biden for British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace to succeed outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who ends leading the 31-member alliance in September. the tenure of the alliance. Stoltenberg is scheduled to meet Biden in Washington on Monday, and the coalition leaders are scheduled to gather in Lithuania for their annual summit on July 11-12.
“The United States and the United Kingdom stand with Ukraine,” Biden said at the start of the meeting.
Sunak is keen to make the UK a significant player in AI, and has announced his government will bring together politicians, scientists and tech executives for an AI safety summit in the autumn.
He said it was crucial to ensure that “paradigm-changing new technologies” were used for the benefit of humanity.
“No country can do this alone,” Sunak said on Wednesday. “It will take a global effort.” Sunak’s visit comes as U.S. and British intelligence officials are still trying to hold accountable for the failure of a large dam in southern Ukraine, which caused flooding to flood towns and farmland. Neither Washington nor London formally blamed Russia for blowing up the Kakhovka dam.
Sunak said on Wednesday that British intelligence was still assessing the evidence but “if it does prove deliberate it would be a new low … the barbarity on the part of the Russians is appalling.” He told ITV broadcaster ITV in Washington: ” Throughout the war, Russia has targeted civilian infrastructure with a deliberate and aggressive strategy.”
Both want to show that despite the recent political and economic turmoil in the UK, US-UK relations remain as strong as ever The impact on Northern Ireland is divided.
There were also some awkward moments between the two leaders in the early days.
At a White House celebration in October of the Hindu festival of Diwali, Biden pointed to Sunak’s ascension as a “semiconducting milestone” as Britain’s first leader of color and the first to hold the post. Hindus of duty. Messed up the pronunciation of Sunak’s name.
When Biden met Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in San Diego in March to announce plans to sell Australia’s nuclear-powered attack submarines, Biden jokingly told Sunak “maybe you could invite me to your home in California The light-hearted side has revived old political baggage for Sunak, whose political aspirations dimmed last year when he faced an ethics inquiry after he was granted a US green card two years after being named chancellor. Sunak is a former hedge fund manager with an MBA from Stanford who owns a California estate with his wife.
Still, there is a feeling in the Biden administration that US-UK relations have regained their footing following Boris Johnson’s sometimes turbulent tenure and Liz Truss’ 45-day prime ministership.
“I think the Sunak government has been very pragmatic and has maintained the UK’s strong commitment to Ukraine and increased defense spending, which is somewhat of a relief, not just in the White House but across Washington,” Marksberg said. said Mann, director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Along with Sunak, he added, there was also “a bit of a return to pragmatism” on economic issues and post-Brexit relations with the EU.
Sunak kicked off his two-day trip to Washington on Wednesday by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. He met with key congressional leaders, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as well as business leaders. He also attended a Washington Nationals baseball game.
Shortly before heading to Washington, Sunak announced a $17bn (£14bn) new economy investment in the UK by several US companies
