US President Joe Biden landed in Britain on Sunday. (File)
London:
President Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Sunday, the place he’ll meet with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier than shifting on to Vilnius for a NATO summit, then a last cease in new NATO member Finland.
Air Power One landed at Stansted Airport north of London late within the night, an AFP journalist reported.
On Monday, he’ll meet the British monarch for the primary time for the reason that coronation of Charles III at Windsor Fortress, one of many royal residences.
The US president didn’t attend the ceremony and despatched First Girl Jill Biden as a substitute.
Their talks are anticipated to give attention to environmental points, the White Home mentioned.
President Biden may even meet Prime Minister Sunak at 10 Downing Avenue.
The largest a part of Joe Biden’s Europe journey can be Tuesday and Wednesday’s NATO summit within the Lithuanian capital, the place Western allies will focus on find out how to assist Ukraine oust Russian occupation forces.
Ukraine is pushing for entry into the army alliance, however President Biden mentioned in an interview with CNN broadcast on Sunday that this can not occur till the battle is over.
If Ukraine enters now, that may imply NATO is at battle with Russia, Joe Biden mentioned.
Underneath Article 5, NATO is dedicated to defending any member underneath assault. “It is a dedication we have all made, come what could. If the battle continues, we’re all at battle. We’re at battle with Russia, if that have been the case,” mentioned President Biden.
Joe Biden hopes to make use of the summit to strain Turkey to drop its opposition to Sweden’s near-approved NATO membership bid. Participation requires unanimous consent of all members.
In a cellphone name with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday, Joe Biden “expressed his need to welcome Sweden to NATO as quickly as doable,” in line with the White Home.
The 2 leaders “expressed their shared dedication to persevering with to help Ukraine,” the assertion mentioned.
President Erdogan’s workplace individually mentioned he would meet President Biden on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
The talks will give attention to “Ukraine’s place in NATO, Sweden’s NATO membership and the provision of F-16” fighter jets, which Turkey hopes to safe from the USA, the Turkish presidency mentioned.
Ukraine and NATO
Within the interview with CNN, Joe Biden had mentioned he was contemplating supplying Turkey and Greece with new or upgraded US-made fighter jets as a lure for Turkey to confess Sweden into NATO.
“And so what I am truthfully making an attempt to place collectively is slightly little bit of a consortium right here the place we’re strengthening NATO by way of the army functionality of each Greece and Turkey and permitting Sweden to return in,” Joe Biden mentioned .
“Nevertheless it’s within the recreation. It isn’t completed but.”
Nevertheless, President Erdogan’s workplace mentioned it was “not right” to hyperlink Turkey’s need to accumulate the fighter jets, which require congressional approval, to Sweden’s membership.
Whereas in Vilnius, Joe Biden may even ship an necessary international coverage speech on the metropolis’s college.
His journey comes within the wake of a controversial choice to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, which most NATO member states have banned however which the USA nonetheless has in its arsenal and is claimed to assist Ukraine beat closely entrenched Russian forces. to destroy.
Joe Biden’s final cease earlier than returning to Washington on Thursday can be Finland, which ended its historic neutrality to affix NATO in response to Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
President Biden would be the first US president to go to Helsinki since Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin 5 years in the past.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is being revealed from a syndicated feed.)
