UK PM Sunak readies for talks with Biden.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Meet with President Biden and Business Leaders

Rishi Sunak is due to visit Washington, DC on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with President Joe Biden and business and military leaders. The packed agenda includes discussions on artificial intelligence, the war in Ukraine, and potentially, trade between the two countries.

Close Allies Working Together

“The U.S. is our closest ally. We are one another’s partner of first resort when it comes to everything from keeping our people safe to growing our economies,” said Sunak in a statement. “That’s why it is so important for a UK Prime Minister to forge a close and candid relationship with the President of the United States – on every global problem, you will see us working side-by-side.”

Artificial Intelligence and Ukraine

Sunak recently assured citizens of both countries that “the government is looking very carefully at” the issue of artificial intelligence. This follows the publishing of a letter last week by the Center for AI Safety, asking policymakers to mitigate the “risk of extinction” brought about by the technology. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long had a goal of acquiring F-16s from Western allies, which the UK has spearheaded, with Biden also supporting training Ukrainian pilots on fighter aircraft.

Coalition of Countries

This meeting between Sunak and Biden will likely be the start of the “coalition of countries participating in this effort will decid[e] when to actually provide jets, how many we will provide, and who will provide them” as foreshadowed by a senior administration official to the Washington Examiner.

Auto Manufacturing Subsidies

Sunak has also been warned against any discussions surrounding auto manufacturing subsidies by think-thank Policy Exchange. Ever since Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the US has dedicated some $369 billion toward electric cars which are largely manufactured outside of Europe and into Asia instead. The think tank discouraged Sunak from paying subsides in order to bring business back.

Despite the challenges, Sunak’s visit to the US is an important step in strengthening the relationship between the two countries and finding solutions to global issues.