Joe Biden received a royal salute at Windsor Castle today ahead of talks with King Charles on climate change.
The 80-year-old US president was seen shaking hands with the 74-year-old monarch before they took to the castle lawn for a rendition of the American national anthem courtesy of the Welsh Guards.
He previously sat down with Rishi Sunak in Downing Street’s garden and told reporters that relations were “rock solid” – as he tries to keep his ‘anti-British’ reputation.
Biden last had formal talks with Charles at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021.
He attended the state funeral of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September, but did not attend the coronation – with his wife Jill.
The 80-year-old US president shook hands with the 74-year-old monarch in Windsor
The monarch steps out of the Sovereign’s Entrance in Windsor ahead of his meeting today
Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the president has “tremendous respect” for the king’s commitment on climate in particular.
He said Charles has been a “clarion voice” on climate and “someone who has mobilized action and effort.”
“So the president is coming into this with tremendous goodwill,” Sullivan told reporters yesterday as Biden flew to London.
Before heading to Windsor Castle, Biden sat down for a friendly meeting with Mr. Sunak at Number 10.
However, frustration is mounting that although it will be their fifth meeting in as many months, Mr Biden is largely ignoring the UK’s views.
More focal points have emerged in recent days, with Biden pouring cold water on the idea of Ukraine joining NATO soon.
King Charles III and US President Joe Biden inspect the Guard of Honor of the Prince of Wales’s Company of the Welsh Guards
Biden puts his hand over his heart as he listens to a rendition of the US national anthem
He previously sat down with Rishi Sunak in the Downing Street garden and told reporters that relations were ‘rock solid’ – as he seeks to destroy his ‘anti-British’ reputation.
He has also put Mr Sunak in an awkward position by declaring that the US will supply Kiev with cluster bombs – weapons the UK is determined to shun.
And the pair could have awkward discussions over NATO’s next head, after Biden seemingly blocked Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s ambitions and backed the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen for the top job.
Tory MP David Jones told MailOnline involvement was useless if there was no “positive response”.
“The prime minister should remind him which country is America’s strongest ally,” he added.
As the leaders sat down on rattan furniture in the Downing Street garden, Biden told Sunak he “could not meet a closer friend and greater ally.”
“Our relationship is rock solid,” he said.
Mr Sunak said the pair would consider ‘how can we strengthen our cooperation, joint economic security for the benefit of our citizens’.
He added: “We stand as two of the strongest allies in that alliance and I know we want to do everything we can to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security.”
Biden would push for the current president of the European Commission to take charge of the military alliance.
But MPs complained that he is “ad ***” after he was apparently angry that Britain did not get its approval to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets.
Conservatives have warned that Ms von der Leyen was the ‘worst ever’ German defense minister before she became committee chair.
King Charles and Mr Biden chat together as officials look at Windsor Castle today
The pair appeared to be on relaxed terms with each other as they chatted at Windsor Castle
The Prince of Wales’s Company of the Welsh Guards arrives ahead of a meeting between King Charles III and United States President Joe Biden
A Metropolitan Police helicopter escorts Marine One – the presidential helicopter – on its way to Windsor Castle
During her watch, Berlin troops notoriously trained with broomsticks on NATO exercises because they didn’t have enough rifles.
Mr Biden told CNN in an interview broadcast as he began his journey that Ukraine was not “ready for membership” of NATO.
“I don’t think there is a consensus within NATO on whether or not to include Ukraine in the NATO family right now, in the middle of a war,” he said.
He noted that NATO members are using every inch of each other’s territory as war rages in Ukraine.
“When the war is going on, we are all at war,” he said.
His tone seemed much more sombre than that of the UK, which has pushed for a positive message about Ukraine’s prospects of joining NATO.