United Nations summit: what did Joe Biden and Liz Truss discuss at bilateral meeting in New York?

The US President and the UK Prime Minister met for the first time during the United Nations General Assembly in New York
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Joe Biden and Liz Truss have held their first talks since the new UK Prime Minister came to power.

The meeting between the two world leaders was highly-anticipated, and with a timely tweet from Joe Biden, all eyes were on the bilateral meeting between the two. With major issues such as the global economy, the war in Ukraine and Britain’s relationship with the EU, Mr Biden and Ms Truss had plenty to speak about.

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Here’s exactly what the two spoke about during their meeting.

Prime Minister Liz Truss and US President Joe Biden met in New York at the UN General Assembly. (Credit: PA)Prime Minister Liz Truss and US President Joe Biden met in New York at the UN General Assembly. (Credit: PA)
Prime Minister Liz Truss and US President Joe Biden met in New York at the UN General Assembly. (Credit: PA)

What happened during Joe Biden and Liz Truss’s meeting?

Ahead of their meeting, Mr Biden told reporters that the “full agenda” for his meeting with Ms Truss included the Ukraine’s defence against Vladimir Putin, China and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He added that

Also on the agenda, however, was the Good Friday Agreement. However, the pair only touched on this briefly throughout their 75-minute conversation, according to the Prime Minister’s spokesperson.

The spokesperson said: “On the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Prime Minister and President Biden both agreed that the priority must be protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and preserving the gains of peace in Northern Ireland.”

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It was also confirmed that most of the time was spent speaking about the war in Ukraine. A Downing Street spokesman said: said: “The leaders condemned Putin’s recent belligerent statements on Ukraine. They agreed his actions highlight the need for allies to continue their economic and military support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister updated President Biden on her recent announcement that the UK will recommit to at least the same level of defensive support for Ukraine next year.

“Both leaders discussed the increased threat posed by autocracies to our values and the international system. The Prime Minister updated President Biden on the UK’s plans to update the Integrated Review to ensure the UK is fully equipped to tackle the evolving challenge from countries like China and Russia.”

Ms Truss and Mr Biden also spoke about reliance on Russian gas and the need to wean off this. The spokesman continued: “The leaders stressed the need to end over-reliance on authoritarian states in terms of our energy, technology and manufacturing supply chains.

“They agreed to redouble bilateral efforts to reduce energy dependence on Russia and to increase the amount of renewable and other forms of energy flowing from democratic states. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to reaching net zero, and the UK outlined the UK’s plans to be a net energy exporter by 2040, in large part thanks to renewable energy.

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“The Prime Minister and President Biden also discussed a number of global challenges which the UK and US are working closely together to resolve, including efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

Ms Truss also referred to the UK and the US as “steadfast allies”, adding that she had been touched on behalf of the UK for the outpouring of sympathy from the US for the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

She said: “We’re very grateful for all the support you’ve given us over what has been two very difficult weeks in the United Kingdom as we move toward the reign of King Charles III and we enter a new era.”

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