Joe Biden Visits UK for Meetings with Sunak and King Charles Amid Ukraine Concerns
US President Joe Biden has arrived in the UK ahead of a Nato summit in Lithuania later this week.
US President Joe Biden has arrived in the UK ahead of a Nato summit in Lithuania later this week. Some of his allies have raised concerns about his decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine, as these bombs are widely banned due to the harm they cause to civilians. The US argues that Ukraine needs these weapons because its stockpile is running low. On Monday, Biden will meet with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss various issues, including the war in Ukraine. Other US allies, such as New Zealand, have strongly criticized the use of cluster bombs, citing the potential harm to innocent people. Cluster bombs release many smaller bombs that can cause indiscriminate casualties and unexploded bomblets can remain a danger for years. The US claims to have received assurances from Ukraine that the weapons will not be used in Russia or urban areas. During his visit, Biden will also meet King Charles for the first time since his coronation.
Nato members will gather in Vilnius for a summit to discuss boosting ammunition stockpiles, reviewing defense plans, and promoting unity. Finland, a new member, will attend its first summit, while Sweden's plans to join have been blocked by Turkey due to accusations of harboring terrorists. Biden is expected to seek support from Sunak to negotiate a deal with Turkey. Ukraine aspires to join Nato but Biden stated that this can only happen once the war is over, in line with the alliance's policy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky supports this position while requesting a signal that his country will be able to join the alliance once the war ends.
The US decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine was made as part of an $800 million military aid package. Biden acknowledged that it was a difficult decision but justified it by stating that Ukraine is running out of ammunition. However, several Nato allies, including Canada, Spain, and New Zealand, opposed the decision. Germany, while not providing the weapons itself, understood the American position. The concern with cluster bombs is their high failure rate and the indiscriminate detonation of unexploded bomblets. The US claims that its cluster bombs have a lower failure rate compared to those used by Russia in the Ukrainian war. Ukraine has promised not to use the weapons in civilian areas and will monitor and report on their use, but Russia dismissed these assurances.
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