Biden, Sunak agree to stand by Ukraine in first call

United States President Joe Biden and Britain’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have agreed to work together to support Ukraine and stand up to China, the White House said in a statement, in a first phone call hours after Sunak became Britain’s third prime minister this year.

The two leaders reaffirmed the “special relationship” that exists between their countries and said they would work together to advance global security and prosperity, the White House said in a read-out of the conversation on Tuesday.

“The leaders agreed on the importance of working together to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its aggression,” it said.

Biden and Sunak also agreed to “address the challenges posed by China,” which Washington has identified as its top geopolitical and economic rival on the world stage.

Downing Street released its own read-out of the call in which it said the pair “discussed the extent of UK-US cooperation, both bilaterally and in regions such as the Indo-Pacific,” as well as the more contentious issue of Northern Ireland.

Earlier on Tuesday Biden had congratulated Sunak in a tweet. On Monday, he described the naming of Britain’s first non-white prime minister as “pretty astounding, a groundbreaking milestone”.