Sunak to meet Biden on Washington visit next week

Leaders will discuss economic ties and support for Ukraine

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hold talks with US President Joe Biden next week in Washington where they will discuss improving economic ties and how to sustain support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Sunak will be in Washington next Wednesday and Thursday and meet Biden, members of Congress and US business leaders, Sunak’s spokesman said yesterday.

“The visit will be an opportunity to build on the discussions that the prime minister and President Biden have had in recent months about enhancing the level of cooperation and coordination between the UK and US on the economic challenges that will define our future,” the spokesman said.

“There will also be an opportunity to discuss issues including sustaining our support for Ukraine.”

Sunak wants to forge better relations with the US after they were strained by Britain’s departure from the European Union at the end of 2020.

In April, a White House official was forced to deny Biden was “anti-British” after he spent over half a day in the British province of Northern Ireland before he travelled to the Irish Republic for twoand-a-half days of meetings.

Free trade agreement

The Biden administration has shown little interest in negotiating a free trade agreement with the UK, which British supporters of leaving the EU once touted as one of the main benefits of its departure from the bloc.

Sunak’s spokesman said it was unlikely there would be a discussion about a free trade agreement on this visit and there would instead be a focus on reducing trade barriers in other ways such as agreements with individual states.