As for the US, in Great Britain there is often talk of a “special relationship”.

It has been a month since US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met in Washington. Now they meet again, this time at the British seat of government in Downing Street, London. The US President is in London on his way to the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania starting tomorrow. Closer time means relationships are as close as ever. But this is doubtful.

During today’s short trip, Biden wants to meet not only the Prime Minister, but also the British King Charles III. He wants to give his high-ranking guest a lavish reception with military honors in a historic setting at Windsor Castle near London. In addition, both want to talk about a topic that is important to them: climate protection.

A stop in Berlin was theoretically on the way, but Biden opted for London.

Consultation with Sunak in Downing Street

First, Biden wants to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. During the meeting at 10 Downing Street, the US president wanted to talk about a number of bilateral and global issues, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said before the trip. The upcoming NATO summit topics should also play a role. Cooperation between Washington and London is even closer, especially in the military area.

However, the US’s recent decision to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine has caused consternation. Sunak spoke out publicly against the move on Saturday — but without directly criticizing the ally. The US’s lack of support for British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s nomination to succeed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is said to have caused trouble in London.

A special relationship – or one of many?

Biden and Chung have seen each other several times in the past six months. Sunak was recently visiting Washington. In March, Biden visited British-owned Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. However, to the consternation of many Brits, Biden spent most of his time in Ireland, where he celebrated his emerald appearance.

Sunak only had a small cup of coffee in it. This seemed inconsistent with the more special relationship it was believed to have with the United States. Conservative British media posed the provocative question of Biden being “anti-British”. For Sunak, who is under domestic political pressure, a meeting with the world’s most powerful man should be a welcome opportunity to underline his own importance as a politician.

Meets King Charles to discuss climate protection

At Windsor Castle, the 80-year-old US president wants to pay tribute to British King Charles III. Go and visit once. It will be the first meeting since Biden and Charles were crowned in early May. At the time, Biden’s wife, Jill, was present, but Biden himself was not. The conservative British media disagreed.

According to the White House, one of the goals is to raise funds to expand clean energy in developing countries. Protecting the climate is an issue Charles, 74, has long campaigned on.

No stopping in Germany

Before Biden’s travel plans were known, there was speculation that Biden would make a stop in Germany. Since taking office in January 2021, Biden has been to Germany only once for an official visit – as a participant in the G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria. Chancellor Olaf Scholes (SPD) flew to Washington on a mission in early March, but Biden is not yet in Berlin as president. After the NATO summit, Biden does not immediately return to Washington, but flies to Helsinki, where a meeting with the leaders and governments of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway is scheduled.