Joe Biden arrived in Britain today, declaring the bilateral relationship "rock solid." The polite smiles in photo ops with King Charles and Prime Minister Sunak belie the alarming reality that Biden has set back the U.S.-U.K. special relationship in a way unprecedented in our times.
Other members of British public life such as parliamentarians and the media were far less receptive of "Sleepy Joe" on his Monday visit with observers offering harsh reactions to Biden’s rejections of several British proposals surrounding NATO and Ukraine.
The latest disputes over Biden’s dismissal of the U.K.’s superbly qualified candidate for NATO Secretary General Ben Wallace, as well as rejection of Britain’s hopes for Ukraine to be fast-tracked for NATO membership, have been registering anger in the UK. Adding to the tension, the U.K. has taken issue with Biden’s pledge to send high-destruction cluster bombs to Ukraine.
BIDEN MEETS KING CHARLES FOR FIRST TIME SINCE SKIPPING CORONATION
The disputes have prompted wide-range criticism in London, including from former cabinet minister David Jones, who reacted: "It would appear that Biden has decided to side with a reluctant Germany rather than with America’s closest ally, Britain. This is deeply regrettable because it gives the impression that Mr. Biden has a bias against the UK, which I’m sure isn’t the case." I am not as convinced as Mr. Jones.
The special relationship has historically been hailed as an unbreakable alliance. Those of us who lived during the Reagan-Thatcher years were convinced it was indestructible and everlasting. But who could have foreseen a president with Joe Biden’s lack of sound diplomatic judgment, would find his way to the Oval Office?
Since taking the helm in January 2021, Biden's policies and actions have caused alarming friction with our traditionally strongest ally and raised serious concerns about the impermeability of this formerly rock-solid alliance.
One of the core pillars of the special relationship is the robust trade and economic ties between the U.S. and the U.K. Unfortunately, any aspirations of a mutually beneficial trade agreement have evaporated thanks to antagonism from Biden and his party cohorts. Democrats’ distaste for Brexit and obsession with and misunderstanding of its effect on Ireland and Northern Ireland left the U.K. sidelined and overlooked.
He could not have been less supportive of Brexit – Britain’s resurgence of a powerful and autonomous United Kingdom. Biden’s sole focus during the U.K.’s significant "take-back-control" episode was to ensure that Ireland did not suffer any detrimental consequences.
Just before taking office, Biden actually warned the U.K. against exceeding crossing his line, expressing on Twitter: 'We must not allow the Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland, to be harmed by Brexit. Any trade agreement between the US and the U.K. must depend on honoring the Agreement and avoiding reintroducing a strict border. Period."
Biden's approach, which would be problematic even if directed at a country of minimal consequence to the U.S., becomes even more concerning when applied to Britain—a country of significant importance.
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Perhaps even more damaging, Biden's unilateral decision regarding the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, straining trust and undermining the very essence of the special relationship, provoked unprecedented British criticism of a US president. British MPs were actually moved to hold him in contempt, for"throwing us and everybody else to the fire" by pulling out US troops, prompting them to label him "dishonorable" for criticizing Afghan forces for not having the will to fight.
Intelligence sharing and security cooperation, cornerstones of the transatlantic alliance, particularly in the fight against terrorism, have met with hurdles under Biden's tenure. The absence of coordination in the Afghanistan catastrophe disrupted the intricate web of intelligence sharing and counterterrorism efforts.
Then there are the symbolic gestures. From giving back the bust of Churchill that Trump had restored to the Oval Office to skipping King Charles’ historic coronation, Biden has shown that, like his former boss, Barack Obama, at best, our mother country and faithful fighting partner means no more to him than any of the member states of the global community. Or worse—as Obama once threatened—as "back of the queue."
Biden has shaken the traditional foreign policy alignment the U.S. has traditionally enjoyed with Britain. Contrasting approaches and unilateral decisions have sown discord with our trusted fighting and trade partner.
Nevertheless, the relationship must survive. The economic (bilateral investment is estimated to exceed £1 trillion) and intelligence synergies are too important to falter. However, the stakes are high and the perils are many.
It is essential that we preserve the U.S.-U.K. relationship. It is imperative to maintain our alliance to leverage the combined assets of shared intelligence, military capabilities, and diplomatic influence to counter the challenges posed by China and Russia and preserve the stability and security of the international order.
