President Joe Biden to host Keir Starmer in White House meeting
6 September 2024, 21:37
President Joe Biden will host Sir Keir Starmer at the White House next week as the pair “have an in-depth discussion on a range of global issues of mutual interest.”
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The PM will travel to the United States on September 13 to meet with the outgoing President, with Ukraine, Israel the the relationship between the US and America to be topics of discussion.
This will mark the second time Biden and Starmer have met face-to-face since Labour’s landslide victory in July.
However, this is the first time the pair will convene since Biden announced his decision to pull out of November’s Presidential election.
A White House statement read: “On September 13, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will host Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom for a bilateral meeting at the White House.
“This will be their second meeting at the White House since Prime Minister Starmer’s election this summer.
“The leaders will have an in-depth discussion on a range of global issues of mutual interest, including continuing robust support to Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, securing a hostage release and ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, protecting international shipping in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi threats, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“They will also discuss opportunities to strengthen U.S.-UK cooperation to secure supply chains and increase climate resilience. President Biden will underscore the importance of continuing to strengthen the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”
Sir Keir still has some work to do to become a well-known political figure across the Atlantic, Julia Manchester, Political reporter at The Hill, told LBC News.
She said: “If they’re paying attention to world leaders, I guess the second most watched world leaders (after the US President) are probably Volodymyr Zelinsky and Vladimir Putin in terms of the war in Ukraine.
“Benjamin Netanyahu, obviously playing a big role as well in the war in Gaza. I don't think Americans are really as checked in.
“I think as Keir Starmer becomes more of a presence, and with this visit, that will help cement his presence maybe in the American psyche. But he is still very much considered a new figure.”
