(London) British Prime Minister Liz Truss and US President Joe Biden “agreed on the importance of protecting” peace in Northern Ireland during their first telephone conversation, Downing Street announced on Tuesday.
Posted at 5:59 p.m.
At the head of British diplomacy, Liz Truss had introduced a law reversing customs provisions as part of the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland, at the risk of launching a trade war with Brussels.
Mme Truss, who succeeds Boris Johnson, told Mr Biden she also looked forward to “working closely” with Washington “to address common challenges”, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
Among these are “the extreme economic problems triggered by Russian President Putin’s war”, she added according to an account of their conversation.
This interview comes as the United States is concerned about the attitude of Mr.me Truss who, in his year as Foreign Secretary, saw post-Brexit tensions arise in Northern Ireland and strain the UK’s ties with Brussels, Dublin and Washington.
Mr Biden, who has Irish roots, has criticized Britain’s Brexit policy under Boris Johnson, with whom he has had a relationship seen as lukewarm.
Mr Biden had warned ahead of his 2020 election that if Brexit tampered with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement – which ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland – he would not consent to a UK trade deal. United and the United States.
A trade deal between London and Washington is currently seen as a distant prospect.
However, defense ties between the two transatlantic allies have grown stronger in recent years, with a new partnership involving Australia – called AUKUS – agreed last year.
During their telephone conversation on Tuesday, Mr.me Truss and Mr Biden “agreed to strengthen these ties, including developing our deep defense alliance through NATO and AUKUS”.
“Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening global freedom, tackling the risks posed by autocracies and ensuring that Putin fails in Ukraine,” the Downing Street spokeswoman added.