Biden's European trip commences in London, focus on Ukraine conflict and NATO Summit

NATO summit, which is scheduled to take place in Lithuania on 11–12 July, and the Ukraine conflict took centre stage as US President Joe Biden kicked off his trip to Europe with a visit to London. He held meetings with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III.

Biden's July 9 to13 trip has a strategic focus on strengthening NATO alliances. Apart from UK and Lithuania (for the NATO summit), the president will also be making a stop in Finland.

Biden and Sunak discussed the Ukraine conflict as the leaders prepare for an important NATO meeting in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

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On the long-standing issue of Ukraine joining NATO, Biden stressed the war in Ukraine must end before the alliance can consider inviting Kyiv to join. Earlier, in conversation with CNN, Biden said, “I don’t think it’s ready for membership in NATO.”

He said NATO requires all countries who are keen on joining the bloc to “meet all the qualifications, from democratisation to a whole range of other issues.”

Controversy surrounding cluster munitions

Biden and Sunak also discussed the US decision to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine, which received condemnation from various countries.

The UK is among the 123 nations that have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a global agreement that bans the use, transfer, manufacturing, and accumulation of cluster bombs.

UK has a long-standing position of discouraging the use of these weapons, which Sunak reiterated hours before meeting Biden.“The UK is a signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use,” Sunak said before the meeting.

Although legally prohibited from supplying the bombs themselves, Sunak during his meeting with Biden, acknowledged the difficult decision made by the US.

This came days after Biden said that decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions was a “difficult” one. Biden also stated that he made the move because “Ukrainians are running out of ammunition”.

First meeting with King Charles

Biden had a long-awaited meeting with King Charles since his coronation, which the president had missed. At a Windsor Castle meeting, they discussed climate issues over a cup of tea.The king's spokesperson remarked on the warm personal connection between them.
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The meeting between the King and the US president was described as friendly and fruitful, although specific details of their conversation were not disclosed except that they discussed various matters of shared interest and concern.

Upcoming NATO summit

The highly-anticipated NATO summit is the focal point of Biden's trip. The summit will involve debates on the Ukraine conflict and the revision of plans to address Russian aggression.

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The final leg of Biden's trip will be in Helsinki, where he is expected to celebrate Finland's inclusion as the newest member of NATO, on Thursday.

Arrival in Vilnius

Biden later arrived at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania, where he was warmly welcomed by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

The US ambassador to Lithuania, Robert Gilchrist, and Lithuania's ambassador to the United States, Audra Plepyte, were also present to greet Biden.

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