Joe Biden heads to the UK for his first foreign trip as US President

Joe Biden set to jet into Suffolk today as he arrives in Britain for his first foreign trip as US President ahead of face-to-face talks with Boris Johnson at G7 summit

  • US President Joe Biden due to arrive in UK onboard Air Force One this evening 
  • He is expected to land at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk tonight ahead of G7 summit
  • Mr Biden’s first foreign trip as President and he will hold talks with PM tomorrow 

Joe Biden will arrive in the UK this evening as he begins his first overseas trip as US President ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall. 

Mr Biden and his wife Jill are expected to land on Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk as they kick off an eight-day trip to Europe.

He will meet US military personnel stationed at the base before heading to Carbis Bay near St Ives for the meeting of world leaders.  

The President is scheduled to meet Boris Johnson for face-to-face talks tomorrow – the first time the two men will have met in person – before the summit formally gets underway on Friday. 

Mr Biden’s arrival in the UK is expected to be considerably calmer than that of his predecessor in the White House, Donald Trump, who was welcomed by a storm of protests. 

Joe Biden will arrive in the UK this evening as he begins his first overseas trip as US President ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall

The President is scheduled to meet Boris Johnson for face-to-face talks tomorrow – – the first time the two men will have met – before the summit formally gets underway on Friday. The PM is pictured in Downing Street’s garden at a reception for teachers today

Where is Joe Biden going on his tour of Europe?

Wednesday June 2 evening: Arrives in UK at RAF Mildenhall

Thursday June 3: Hold bilateral talks with Boris Johnson in Cornwall

Friday June 11 to Sunday June 13: Attend the G7 summit at Carbis Bay near St Ives

Sunday June 13: Meet the Queen at Windsor Castle

Monday June 14: Travel to Brussels for a NATO summit 

Tuesday June 15: Attend a joint US-EU summit in Brussels

Wednesday June 16: Travel to Geneva for bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Having succeeded Mr Trump after his single fractious term in the White House, Mr Biden said in an article for the Washington Post that the trip is about ‘realising America’s renewed commitment to our allies and partners’. 

Mr Biden also said he would meet with the Mr Johnson to ‘affirm the special relationship between our nations’.  

The fact that Mr Biden’s first overseas visit since winning the keys to the White House is to the UK has been viewed in Whitehall as a diplomatic victory for Mr Johnson.  

Mr Biden’s visit to Europe will inevitably be viewed as an attempt to repair relationships which were damaged during Mr Trump’s time in the White House. 

Mr Trump had engaged in a bitter trade row with the EU and also slammed NATO members for failing to spend more on defence amid fears that he could pull the US out of the alliance. 

The ex-President also sparked anger in European capitals after he formally withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change. One of Mr Biden’s first acts after taking office was to rejoin the agreement.

Mr Johnson and his ministers have lavished praised on Mr Biden since he won power amid lingering fears the PM and the US President may not get along. 

RAF Mildenhall has been home to US airforce personnel and equipment for decades. 

The Suffolk base has been used by the American military since 1950, providing Washington with a military foothold in Europe.

Several units are still based there permanently, including the 100th Air Refuelling Wing and a branch of its special operations command.

It had been originally earmarked for closure in 2022 after the Pentagon decided to scale down its military presence on the continent.  

However, that decision was later reversed and operations are due to continue at the base.  

Democratic sources previously questioned whether Mr Johnson was an ‘ally’, with Mr Biden having previously described him as a ‘physical and emotional clone’ of Mr Trump.  

There was also speculation the pair could struggle to work together because of Mr Johnson’s past criticism of Barack Obama, who Mr Biden served as vice president. 

This week reports suggested Mr Johnson is not a fan of the phrase ‘special relationship’ after an American magazine reported he told aides he does not like the seemingly ‘needy and weak’ term.

Downing Street aides reportedly said he ‘prefers not to use the phrase’ and is instead intent on fostering a ‘close relationship’ with Washington.

The PM hopes that part of that will include a new free trade deal with the US. 

However, the US President as well as a host of other politicians in Washington have raised concerns about Brexit’s impact on Northern Ireland amid fears the UK’s split from Brussels could derail a trade agreement. 

Mr Biden will join others from the G7 group of leading economies in Carbis Bay on Friday, where there is the prospect of some protests.

The PM plans to use the summit to urge the members – also including Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Italy – to ‘defeat’ Covid-19 by helping to vaccinate the world by the end of next year. 

Mr Biden and his wife Jill are expected to land on Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk as they kick off an eight-day trip to Europe. They are pictured in Washington on June 4

Mr Biden’s arrival in the UK is expected to be considerably calmer than that of his predecessor in the White House, Donald Trump, who was welcomed by a storm of protests

Large scale protests took place in London and elsewhere when Mr Trump visited the UK. The ex-president is pictured alongside Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in July 2018

The PM plans to use the summit to urge the members – also including Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Italy – to ‘defeat’ Covid-19 by helping to vaccinate the world by the end of next year.

After the summit ends, the US President and the First Lady will meet the Queen at Windsor Castle.

Mr Biden will then depart for Brussels where he will attend a NATO summit and a joint US-EU summit before then heading to Geneva in Switzerland.

The White House said in April when it confirmed the trip to Europe that Mr Biden will ‘highlight his commitment to restoring our alliances, revitalizing the Transatlantic relationship, and working in close cooperation with our allies and multilateral partners to address global challenges and better secure America’s interests’.    

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