Biden says he ‘looks forward’ to continued cooperation with the United Kingdom on a range of issues including Ukraine in statement after Boris Johnson resignation that doesn’t mention Prime Minister by name
- President Joe Biden said he looks forward to the continued cooperation with the United Kingdom on a range of issues, including the Ukraine
- Biden released statement hours after Johnson announced his resignation
- Statement didn’t mention Johnson by name
- ‘The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and Allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong ,’ Biden said
- Johnson and Biden saw each other last week in Madrid at the NATO summit and in Germany at the G7 meeting
- When asked whether Biden will speak to the outgoing-PM, a White House official told DailyMail.com there was no calls to previews
President Joe Biden on Thursday said he looks forward to the continued cooperation with the United Kingdom on a range of issues, including the Ukraine, in a statement following Boris Johnson’s resignation that failed to mention the outgoing prime minister by name.
Biden released the statement in the hours after Johnson, standing in front of 10 Downing Street, announced his resignation.
The two men were a diplomatic odd couple but found common ground after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The president said he expects the U.S. and the U.K. to continue ‘maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine.’
Johnson has been one of Biden’s strongest allies in targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of the Ukraine.
‘The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and Allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring,’ Biden said in a statement that didn’t mention Johnson’s name.
President Joe Biden said he looks forward to the continued cooperation with the United Kingdom on a range of issues in a statement following Boris Johnson’s resignation – above the two leaders at last week’s NATO summit
President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – seen at the G7 meeting in Germany last week – had an odd couple relationship but found common ground with Russia’s attack on the Ukraine
‘I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our Allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities. That includes maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin’s brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions,’ the president added.
Johnson and Biden saw each other last week in Madrid at the NATO summit and in Germany at the G7 meeting.
When asked whether Biden will speak to the outgoing-PM, a White House official told DailyMail.com there was no calls to previews.
Johnson said he will stay in power until Conservatives choose a new leader. That person would be the country’s next prime minister.
Johnson blamed ‘powerful herd instinct’ for his ousting, saying: ‘In the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we’re delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we’re actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in mid-term after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.
‘I regret not to have been successful in those arguments and of course it’s painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.
‘But as we have seen at Westminster the herd instinct is powerful, when the herd moves, it moves.’
Biden and Johnson were seen as a diplomatic odd couple with little in common: Biden is a longtime public official with a history of public service while Johnson was a brash politician often compared to Donald Trump.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday
President Biden’s statement after Johnson’s resignation did not mention Johnson by name
Biden opposed Brexit – which Johnson eased England through – and Northern Ireland’s role as part of the Britain’s exit from the European Union, which he spoke to Johnson about when the two men met Biden’s first year in office.
Biden was initially cold to Johnson, who had made questionable comments about Barack Obama’s Kenyan heritage and cozied up to Trump, who had supported Brexit.
But the two men found common ground in the Ukraine. Both of them opposed Putin’s invasion of Russia’s neighboring country and had their governments inact strong financial sanctions in response.
Johnson, in his resignation speech, cited his support of Ukraine as part of his proudest moments. He visited Ukrainian President Zelensky twice during the invasion.
‘I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government, from getting Brexit done to settling our relations with the continent for over half a century … and, in the last few months, leading the West in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine,’ he said.
‘And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that I know that we in the U.K. will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes,’ he added.
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