Biden, Sunak reaffirm support for Ukraine in meeting

President Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reaffirmed their lasting support for Ukraine on Thursday after a bilateral meeting at the White House, during which both leaders vowed the “special relationship” between their countries would endure despite a period of chaos in the British political system.

The two leaders’ comments came as Ukraine launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive against Russia, seeking to take back territory following U.S. efforts to prepare Kyiv’s forces with increasingly advanced weapons and tactics.

Despite some calls in Congress to limit U.S. expenditures for Ukraine, Biden said he was confident the U.S. would aid the country as long as necessary. “I believe that that support will be real, even though you hear some voices today on Capitol Hill about whether or not we should continue to support Ukraine and for how long,” Biden said.

Earlier this week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) caused a flap by saying the House has no plans to take up legislation that would boost military aid to Ukraine above the levels included in the recent debt ceiling legislation.

Biden said Thursday that if Russia is not halted, its aggression is unlikely to stop at Ukraine’s borders.

“I ask people to picture what would happen if we were not supporting (Ukraine),” he said. “Do we think Russia would stop in Kyiv? Do you think that’s all there would be?”

Sunak repeatedly thanked Biden for U.S. leadership in bolstering Ukraine, saying Washington has enabled “the forces of democracy and freedom to prevail.” He stressed the United Kingdom had no plans to scale back its support.

In comments addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sunak said, “There is no point in trying to wait us out. We will be here as long as it takes.”

The two leaders also highlighted the friendship between their countries at a time when some worry it has been weakened by Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union and Biden’s focus on protecting U.S. industry.

“There’s no country closer to the United States than the United Kingdom,” Biden said. Sunak added, “Ours is the indispensable alliance.”

Still, Biden, who often touts his long-standing personal relationships with world leaders, has not received that recently from Britain, whose Conservative Party leadership has been shaken by scandal and resignation. Biden has had little time to become close with Sunak – unlike, say, his friendship with Emmanuel Macron of France or Justin Trudeau of Canada.

Britain’s flamboyant Boris Johnson resigned in September, ousted by his party as untrustworthy. Johnson’s successor, Liz Truss, lasted just 45 days in office, after she struggled to right the British economy, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in history.

Sunak has provided some stability, and the meeting marked the fourth consecutive month in which he and Biden have met in person. Sunak and his Conservative Party face a national election next year, and recent polling has them trailing the left-leaning Labour Party.

During his first trip to Washington as prime minister, Sunak discussed a range of issues with Biden including deepening economic ties, supporting Ukraine and tackling emerging technologies. Sunak has said he wants Britain to be an innovator and watchdog regarding artificial intelligence. Aides say he plans to propose to Biden that the United Kingdom lead global efforts to regulate AI ahead of a fall summit he is hosting on the topic.

Since Brexit, however, the United Kingdom’s influence on some global issues has waned, and the United States and the European Union have made moves to cooperate on artificial intelligence without the British. And while Johnson during his tenure focused on boosting U.S.-British trade, the two sides have not signaled that will be a major focus during Biden and Sunak’s meeting Thursday.

Still, Sunak’s visit is in large part about making the case that, despite Britain’s withdrawal from the E.U., enhanced economic cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom is more critical than ever.

“Just as interoperability between our militaries has given us a battlefield advantage over our adversaries, greater economic interoperability will give us a crucial edge in the decades ahead,” Sunak said in a statement ahead of his trip.

Britain’s staunch support of Ukraine, making it the leading European country in offering military and other assistance, has given a boost to its strategic alliance with the United States. And following the destruction of a critical dam in southern Ukraine this week, the bilateral meeting focused heavily on the ongoing war.

Biden and Sunak first met in San Diego in March, when they formally announced their plan to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines as part of an effort to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. In April, they were both in Belfast as Biden commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. They met again last month in Hiroshima, Japan, during a summit of the Group of Seven large democratic economies.

But all those were multilateral meetings, involving heads of state beyond Biden and Sunak. And so far, their relationship remains a far cry from the famed U.S.-U.K. political romances of the past, including those of Bill Clinton and Tony Blair or Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

Some British observers felt snubbed during Biden’s recent trip to Ireland, when he repeatedly highlighted his connection to the country and openly wondered why his ancestors ever left, but did not bother to stop in neighboring Britain. Then he skipped the coronation of King Charles III, sending the first lady in his place.

Sunak has yet to receive an invitation for a state dinner, after the leaders of both France and South Korea were feted with such events at the White House. Later this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, will travel to Washington for a state dinner.

White House officials play down the notion of any distance between the two leaders or their nations, noting that no American president has attended a British coronation (Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a delegation to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in June 1953). Biden has accepted an invitation from King Charles for a state visit, which could come as soon as next month.

Sunak, 43, is seen as a steady leader in Britain, if not a massively popular one. A former Goldman Sachs banker and a technology expert, he received his MBA at Stanford University. Alongside his wife, Akshata Murty, who owns vast shares of her father’s India-based tech company, Infosys, the couple are among the richest in Britain.

When Biden and Sunak met in San Diego earlier this year, the president welcomed the British leader’s American ties, while also taking the opportunity to poke fun at his immense wealth.

“I want to welcome him back to California,” Biden said. “He’s a Stanford man, and he still has a home here in California. That’s why I’m being very nice to him – maybe he’ll invite me to his home here in California.”

Sunak arrived in Washington on Tuesday night and is staying at the Blair House. He paid a visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, followed by meetings on Capitol Hill with House and Senate leaders. He concluded the night by attending the Washington Nationals baseball game, but much to the British press’s chagrin, he did not throw out the first pitch.