President Joe Biden’s itinerary this week in Europe is dominated by the ongoing war in Ukraine and his continued efforts to rally an international coalition against Russia's invasion of its neighbor.The U.S. president’s initial stop on his three-nation trip is Britain, where he’ll meet with King Charles III for the first time since the latter was crowned in May.
King Charles III during a visit to Lochcarron of Scotland at the Waverley textile mill in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders, as part of the first Holyrood Week since the King's coronation, on July 6, 2023 in Selkirk, Scotland. (Jane Barlow - Pool/GettThat visit is paired with the sixth meeting between Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak since Sunak assumed his role in October. It's all meant to highlight the so-called enduring "special relationship" between the U.S.
But now it’s the Biden administration that has taken steps that 10 Downing St. feels go too far, with the U.S. president’s decision this week to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, a weapon that more than two-thirds of the members of the NATO military alliance have barred for their potential threat to civilian life.
"We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we’ve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine," Sunak added.