British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday to discuss issues including the Ukraine conflict, China, AI regulation and economic security.
This is Sunak’s first visit to the White House since taking office as prime minister in October 2021, providing an opportunity for in-depth interaction between the two leaders.
Their Oval Office talks are expected to cover a wide range of topics, with Russia’s 15-month invasion of Ukraine a priority. Sunak intends to advocate for British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace to replace NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term ends in September, as head of the 31-member alliance.
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Striving to put the UK at the center of artificial intelligence, Sunak has announced a government-hosted AI Security Summit bringing together politicians, scientists and technology executives in the fall. It emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of “new paradigm shift technologies” for the benefit of humanity.
The Prime Minister is also interested in discussing shared US-UK leadership in emerging critical technologies, including AI.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned that the two leaders will discuss strengthening economic security, their economic partnership and supporting Ukraine in the face of aggressive Russian actions.
Sunak began his two-day visit to Washington on Wednesday, laying a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and meeting with top congressional and business leaders, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He also attended Washington Nationals baseball games.
Both sides intend to demonstrate the enduring strength of the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, despite the recent political and economic turmoil in these countries. Sunak is the third British prime minister Biden has interacted with since taking office in 2021, with some disapproval of Brexit and its impact on Northern Ireland.
However, despite some awkward initial moments between Biden and Sunak, both sides are working to mend their relationship. They are also seeking to determine responsibility for the failure of a major dam in southern Ukraine, with both Washington and London formally accusing Russia of destroying the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam.
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Sunak said British intelligence services were still evaluating the evidence, but if it proved deliberate it would represent “horrific barbarism on the Russian part”.
In a letter to Sunak, chairman of the Congressional Executive Committee on China, Rep. Republican Chris Smith and Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, urged collaboration with the Biden administration on Hong Kong policy and called for the release of the Chinese tycoon. Lai and other activists.
Sunak’s visit to the White House allowed the two leaders to discuss a wide range of topics, including Ukraine, China, AI regulation and economic security. Sunak’s goal of making the UK a key player in AI is one of his top priorities, and his government plans to hold an AI security summit in the fall. Both sides look forward to demonstrating that the US-UK relationship remains strong despite the UK’s recent challenges.
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