Amidst Discussions Over Ukraine's NATO Entry, US President To Visit UK, Meet Rishi Sunak

On his route to a NATO meeting in Lithuania, US Vice President Biden will take a Sunday flight to London. Before going to Windsor Castle to see Charles for the first time since the burial of Queen Elizabeth II in September, he is due to speak with Sunak at 10 Downing St. on Monday.

London : US President Joe Biden will discuss the environment with King Charles III and the war in Ukraine with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his visit to the European nation.

US President Biden flies to London on Sunday on his way to a NATO summit in Lithuania. He is scheduled to hold talks with Sunak at 10 Downing St. on Monday before heading to Windsor Castle to meet Charles for the first time since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

Before attending this week's NATO conference in Vilnius, where it will be decided how far the military alliance should open its doors to Ukraine, Sunak and the president will have discussions about the country. Despite fervent pleas from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO officials have not outlined a road map since 2008 when they announced that Ukraine would eventually join.

According to Julie Norman, co-director of the Centre for U.S. Politics at University College London, "it is an area where the US is a little bit more cautious than a lot of other NATO partners. Before entering the entire (NATO) summit, there "might be some closed-door discussions about where the U.K. is on that."

Among the most ardent Western backers of Kiev are the United States and the United Kingdom. According to Norman, "if anything, the U.K. has taken a bit of a lead on some of the military commitments," pressuring the Biden administration to take additional action on matters like tanks and a global initiative to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

"I think in some ways that's worked to Biden's advantage," she added, "as he's gotten increased resistance here in the United States from some wings of the Republican Party about not over-giving aid to Ukraine." The U.K.'s initiative and leadership in this area "gives Biden a little nudge and a little bit of a strong ally support in moving forward."

Allies, especially Britain, are concerned about Biden's decision to provide the Ukraine cluster bombs, which are forbidden by a convention ratified by more than 120 nations, including the U.K. On Saturday, Sunak claimed that Britain "discourages their use."

The U.K. has refrained from grumbling about failing to get support from Washington for Defense Secretary Ben Wallace to become the next head of NATO because it is determined to display unity among Ukraine's friends. Instead, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's term has been extended by a year.

The United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union, which Biden has made plain he believes hurt the United Kingdom, has strained the transatlantic relationship in recent years.

The president, who proudly acknowledges his Irish heritage, was especially worried about how Brexit would affect the peace process in Northern Ireland. When Britain and the EU reached an agreement in February to resolve a contentious dispute over trade regulations for Northern Ireland, the only region of the U.K. that shares a border with an EU state, Washington was relieved.

Before spending several days touring ancestral hometowns in the Republic of Ireland, Biden paid a quick visit to Belfast in April to commemorate 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday peace deal in Northern Ireland. He annoyed several Brits by afterwards claiming that he had gone to Northern Ireland to make sure "the Brits didn't screw around."

Despite the fact that some British Conservatives are concerned about perceived slights from the Democrat president, Biden is meeting with Sunak for the sixth time since he took office in October. Following his trip to Washington last month, the British leader returned with a "Atlantic Declaration" that called for more economic collaboration in fields including artificial intelligence, clean energy, and essential minerals.

That provided some solace for Brexit supporters who had given up hope of Britain signing a free trade agreement with the United States.

Standing next to the American president gives Sunak a momentary reprieve from his growing internal problems caused by a faltering economy and a discordant party. He faces electoral judgment in 2019 like Biden, and he has until late 2024 to schedule a presidential election. 8.7% annual U.K. inflation in the Millions of people are still experiencing cost of living pressure due to the double the U.S. rate for the year to May, and the ruling Conservatives are trailing Labour in surveys.

It also helps to raise Charles' prominence, who is 74 years old. Biden sent first lady Jill Biden to the late queen's burial in September but skipped Charles' coronation in May.

Charles lacks his mother's star power, having visited 13 American presidents and traveling to more than 100 different states during her 70 years as the monarch. But long before it was fashionable, he developed a reputation as an environmental activist, working to defend animals and fight climate change.