Biden welcomed new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Oval Office, saying he sees the U.K. as the “knot tying the transatlantic alliance together.”
The meeting on the margins of the 75th NATO summit in Washington follows the leaders’ phone conversation last week when Starmer took office.
Biden praised Starmer for “seeking closer ties with Europe,” saying it would be good for the entire NATO alliance.
“The special relationship is so important,” Starmer replied.
The two leaders engaged in a free-flowing conversation in the Oval Office, rather than delivering prepared statements. The leaders began with a jovial discussion of England’s soccer victory over the Netherlands, and Biden remarked that soccer is now more popular in the U.S. than ever before.
Biden appeared to ignore a barrage of questions about his political future and doubts within his party about his reelection campaign. He responded to a question about Democratic donor and actor George Clooney calling on him to step aside by saying, “AFL-CIO, Go, Go, Go,” appearing to reference his appearance Wednesday morning with the union.
