President Biden Begins European Visit with Stop in London
LONDON — President Biden kicked off his high-stakes visit to Europe with a stop in London, where his meetings with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were expected to be among the least contentious of his five-day trip. While the war in Ukraine was expected to dominate Biden’s trip, his one-day visit to London includes discussions on climate change, the environment, and artificial intelligence.
During his meeting with King Charles III, Biden is expected to discuss the need to boost private-sector investment in combating climate change, an issue on which they largely agree. The two men will also engage with philanthropists and investors to mobilize finances and support the deployment of clean energy in developing countries.
Biden’s meeting with Sunak aimed to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic security and discuss issues on the agenda in Vilnius, including the progress in the war in Ukraine. The United States and the United Kingdom, known for their “special relationship,” are working through their differences in their approaches to Kyiv.
Biden’s visit to London comes amidst fresh divisions over Ukraine, as U.S. allies have increasingly broken with the president on the issue. However, the White House officials have sought to project a sense of unity around Biden’s five-day trip.
The president’s visit to London also marks his first time visiting 10 Downing Street as the president. Biden and Sunak shook hands and posed for pictures before Biden departed for Windsor Castle to meet with King Charles III. Some royal commentators in the tabloids noted that President Biden did not attend the coronation in May, causing some ruffled feathers. However, the president’s attendance was optional, and he sent First Lady Jill Biden in his place.
President Biden and King Charles III are both passionate environmentalists, and they are expected to discuss climate change and invest in clean energy. Biden has made mitigating climate change a centerpiece of his administration, while King Charles III has long warned of the dangers of global warming. The two men will also engage with philanthropists and investors to mobilize finances to support clean energy and mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis in developing countries.
Overall, President Biden’s visit to London sets the stage for his subsequent meetings at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and a confab with Nordic leaders in Finland. His trip aims to unify NATO and the broader Western world, but it may also expose major rifts in the coalition of countries regarding Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.