US President Joe Biden meets with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, July 10, 2023 [Kevin Lamarque/Reuters]
Metropolis Desk-
President Joe Biden of the United States has begun a three-nation trip, which will be dominated by a NATO summit intended to show support for Ukraine amid tensions over Kyiv’s potential membership in the alliance.
Late on Sunday, Biden flew into the UK, a crucial US ally.
On Monday, as he sat down with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street, Biden declared, “Our relationship is rock solid.
The upcoming NATO summit, which starts on July 11 in Vilnius, as well as the conflict in Ukraine, are expected to be topics of discussion.
Our relationships are more crucial than ever, said Sunak in a statement, as we face brand-new, unanticipated threats to our economic and physical security.
“The UK is Europe’s foremost NATO ally, we are the US’ most significant trade, defense, and diplomatic partner, and we are at the forefront of giving Ukraine the support they need to prevail on the battlefield,” he continued.
The White House announced that Biden will also meet with King Charles of Britain for the first time since his coronation in May to discuss climate change and the environment.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Western partners will consider aiding Ukraine in driving out invading Russian forces during the NATO summit being held in the capital of Lithuania.
Biden intends to use the meeting to put pressure on Turkey to end its opposition to Sweden’s application for NATO membership.
Ankara has charged Stockholm with showing favoritism to organizations it sees as a security danger, including armed Kurdish groups and those connected to a failed coup attempt in 2016.
The White House reported that Biden “conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible” in a phone chat with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday.
The two presidents “expressed their shared commitment to continue supporting Ukraine,” the statement continued. Erdogan will see Biden outside of the meeting, according to his office.
According to the Turkish president, the discussions will center on “Ukraine’s position in NATO, Sweden’s membership in NATO, and the delivery of F-16” fighter planes that Turkey intends to obtain from the United States.
All 31 members must agree unanimously to join NATO. The US and Germany have been hesitant to welcome a country at war that still needs to undergo some democratic reforms, insisting that the focus should instead be on providing weapons and ammunition. Ukraine has demanded that the military alliance give a clear path to membership at this week’s summit.
In a CNN interview before his trip, Biden said, “I don’t think there is an agreement in NATO about whether or not to welcome Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this time, in the middle of a war.
He counseled caution, pointing out that because NATO agrees on mutual defense, the union might be dragged into a conflict with Russia. NATO may opt to strengthen ties with Ukraine by establishing the NATO-Ukraine Council, which would give Kyiv a seat at the negotiation table.
The speech Biden will give at Vilnius University on Wednesday night, which will serve as the centerpiece of his visit to Lithuania, will present his vision of “a strong, confident America flanked by strong, confident allies and partners taking on the significant challenges of our time, from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to the climate crisis.”
Recent changes to Sweden’s “anti-terrorism” laws include the lifting of an arms embargo on Turkey. But Erdogan hinted that there would be more difficulty after a man burnt a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm last month.
The supply of F-16 fighter jets has also resulted in a deadlock between the US and Turkey. Erdogan requests the modernized aircraft, but Biden contends that Sweden’s NATO membership must be resolved first.
Source- Al Jazeera
