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UK’s new PM snubs Biden — Analysis

Liz Truss cancelled a meeting she had with President Trump despite having other heads of states on her schedule

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has called off a planned meeting with US President Joe Biden in London, even as she keeps Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other world leaders on her calendar for talks this weekend prior to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday.

Last week the queen, two days after she directed Truss form a government to honor her, died. The new prime minister has an opportunity to make diplomatic points with visiting heads of state.

However, the PM’s office announced on Saturday that Sunday’s planned face-to-face talks with Biden had been called off.

Downing Street did not offer any explanations for the change in scheduling. Truss & Biden intend to host a “full bilateral meeting”On Wednesday, both leaders will visit New York City to attend the UN General Assembly. The queen’s funeral is scheduled for Monday.

Biden, who was reported to be one of the first global leaders to confirm attendance at the funeral’s ceremony, left Saturday afternoon from the White House to take his flight to London. Biden was reported to be aboard Air Force One at the time of meeting cancellation.


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Truss met with Jacinda Ardern and Anthony Albanese, her counterparts in New Zealand and Australia. After speaking with Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (UAE leader), Truss was scheduled for a phone call on Saturday with the Saudi crown Prince. Her meetings with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Polish President Andrzej Duda also were proceeding as planned.

Biden congratulated Truss for her September 6th appointment as the PM. He said that he was looking forward to strengthening the relationship. “special relationship”Working together in the UK and USA “global challenges,”Included “support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.”

Truss described the relationship between Britain and America as “special, but not exclusive.” Although she and Biden are similarly hawkish on Russia, the White House has suggested that her support for legislation scrapping parts of London’s post-Brexit trading arrangements with Northern Ireland isn’t “conducive”to conclude the long-awaited US-UK Trade Deal

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