President Joe Biden spoke to his counterpart on Tuesday afternoon, in a conversation that will set the tone for the future working relationship of two allies that have been historically close but do not always see eye-to-eye.
Before the call, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasised the need of “preserving peace, stability and prosperity for the people of Northern Ireland”. The transfer of political power comes at a tricky juncture for UK-EU relations as the deadline approaches for Truss’s government to respond to reactive legal proceedings launched by Brussels accusing the UK of four infringements to the Northern Ireland treaty. The deadline for the response is 15 September.
Truss’s domestic in-tray is laden with an announcement on energy this week and tax plans next, leaving her less bandwidth for pursuing trade deals with a reluctant American president.