US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued the so-called Atlantic Declaration at a meeting in the White House, which is a kind of substitute for the British free trade agreement with the US after they decided to leave the EU and lost economic benefits with Europe.
Biden and Sunak discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the rapid development of artificial intelligence at the White House. However, Sunak remained tight-lipped about Britain’s ambitions to strike a free trade deal with Washington after Brexit. Instead, he went along with Biden’s plan to create a new green economy with massive industrial subsidies.
The Atlantic Declaration adopted by the two leaders aims to strengthen industrial ties in defense and renewable energy in the face of increasing competition from China.
“We are facing new challenges to international stability – authoritarian states like Russia and China, disruptive technologies, non-state actors and international challenges like climate change,” is written in the declaration.
Both leaders agreed that the world economy is experiencing the biggest changes since the industrial revolution, partly due to artificial intelligence. Sunak said Biden supported his plan to convene like-minded countries at the first global summit on artificial intelligence in Britain this fall.
Sunak’s ambitions are hampered by headwinds, as the US and the EU are already conducting their own dialogue on an artificial intelligence code of conduct, while industry representatives are pushing for regulation. Sunak said the Atlantic Declaration would help the allies deal with chronic instability in energy markets, caused by Russia’s actions.
As for Ukraine, the two governments have come close to offering advanced fighter jets to help Kiev fight a Russian invasion. Sunak said the dam collapse was a horrific act that affected hundreds of thousands of people and promised to help the victims.
Sunak won a promise from Biden to discuss US aid to British carmakers, namely better access to key minerals used in batteries after the US Inflation Reduction Act offered new subsidies to US-based companies.
The British have a candidate for the future Secretary General of NATO, when Jens Stoltenberg term expires. This is the defense minister Ben Wallace. Denmark and Estonia also have candidates before the summit of the Western military alliance, which will be held in Lithuania next month. Biden described Wallace as highly qualified to lead NATO, but added that consensus must be reached on Stoltenberg’s successor.
At the press conference, Biden also assured that the United States will continue to help Ukraine as long as it is necessary. Although he is among congressional Republicans who are supporters of the former president Donald Trumphearing more and more criticism about aid to Ukraine, Biden said they would have enough funds to continue the aid.
At the press conference, Sunak condemned the knife attack on children in France, and Biden assured that the United States would continue to help Canada fight the wildfires, the smoke of which engulfed the northeastern part of the United States and greatly worsened air quality.
