Biden to host UK PM Chung next week for talks on Ukraine, climate

President Joe Biden will host British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the White House next week for talks on Ukraine, climate issues and more.

Sunak plans to visit Washington on June 7-8 and, in addition to his Oval Office meeting with Biden next Thursday, will also meet with US lawmakers and business leaders.

The meeting comes after the White House announced earlier this month that Biden was endorsing an international effort created by the UK and other allies to train and eventually equip Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets long sought by President Volodymyr Zelesnyky. On Monday, Biden is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, another key partner in the F-16 effort.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the two leaders looked forward to the US-UK economic relationship and developments in Northern Ireland. British officials have played down hopes that the visit will produce a significant move to forge a new US-UK trade deal, which the British government now accepts is dead.

Sunac spokesman Max Blain said he did not expect either side to press for it: “We are not currently pursuing a free trade agreement with the United States.”