US-Britain: Their ‘special relationship’ threatened by first Biden-Johnson meeting

Myth or reality, whole generations of British leaders were proud of their “special” ideological, historical, political, cultural “relationship” between their country and the United States. But before the first four with TMr. Biden and under the shadow of Brexit and its aftermath, the Boris Johnson prefers to avoid this expression, reports APE.

The British Prime Minister welcomes the US President in Cornwall tomorrow, on the eve of the G7 summit, which will be dedicated to a range of issues, from pandemics to climate change. Even when the United Kingdom was a member The European Union, London insisted on identifying with Washington on foreign policy, and the expectation was that this link between the two English-speaking historical allies would be strengthened now that Brexit has become a reality.

However, New York-born Boris Johnson told Joe Biden that he did not like the term “special relationship”, according to a portrait in The Atlantic magazine. “For Johnson, the expression gives the impression of a position of weakness,” according to the article, as Boris Johnson dreams of a United Kingdom that will “radiate” on the international stage, now that it has been liberated from the European Union.

“The prime minister has already said he prefers not to use that expression,” his spokesman told reporters. “But that does not detract from the importance we attach to our relationship with the United States, which is the closest. allied”.

The Protocol of Northern Ireland

For the White House, the expression remains in use. Joe Biden will speak on the “strength and resilience of the special relationship” before outlining US G7 priorities, common democratic values, climate change and the post-pandemic economic recovery, according to White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki. Boris Johnson was the first European leader to be called by Joe Biden after succeeding Donald Trump in January.

Even though Boris Johnson’s populist crowns brought him closer to Donald Trump, who made no secret of his sympathy for the British prime minister, the Tory leader is much closer to Joe Biden’s government on major international issues. . The two leaders show determination in tackling climate change and are on the same wavelength in the face of the challenge posed by Russia and China.

A few days before the G7 summit, London sided with the United States in support of a plan to impose a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%, with an emphasis on technology giants. But the White House is opposed to London’s attempts to reverse its commitments to the European Union on Northern Ireland under the Brexit deal.

The outcome of today’s talks between the United Kingdom and the EU on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol will be discussed tomorrow in a four-on-four meeting between Boris Johnson and Joe Biden, predicts Julie Norman, the University’s International Relations Specialist College London. The White House has warned the British government that any breach of the 1998 peace agreement could have a negative effect on the US-UK trade agreement that Boris Johnson is looking forward to.

The Good Friday agreement, reached with the active participation of then-US President Bill Clinton, ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland between unionist Protestants and Republican Catholics. “Biden was very clear on the issue before his election, saying that whatever happens, the Good Friday agreement must be protected,” said Julie Norman, explaining that the president’s statements, which are very Proud of his Irish descent, he addressed “clearly to Johnson.” The expressions chosen by Washington and London to describe their relationship are of little importance. Their alliance is “strong”: “That counts, whatever adjective we choose to put forward.”

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