British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is in Washington for a two-day visit to discuss aligning the US and Britain on the challenges of artificial intelligence. However, given Russia’s war on Ukraine, the issue of military support for Ukraine is likely to dominate his meeting with President Biden. Britain has provided robust military support for Ukraine and is a central player in the Western response to Russia’s invasion. Besides, Sunak will host a summit meeting in the fall on the regulatory issues raised by AI to make Britain a leader in controlling this fast-developing technology. However, Brexit Britain is not part of the dialogue between the US and the EU on how to deal with AI and is in danger of being squeezed out if the US and EU agree. British defense minister, Ben Wallace, is being considered by Sunak as Stoltenberg’s replacement as Secretary-General of NATO, and he will also have a chance to lobby for Wallace’s candidacy with Biden.
The optics of the visit are essential for Sunak, who has fared better on the global stage than at home in recent weeks, parlaying Britain’s support of Ukraine into a strong voice among the leaders of the Group of Seven countries. Mr. Biden has at times kept Britain at arm’s length, particularly on issues like the post-Brexit trade status of Northern Ireland. Sunak stresses that trans-Atlantic economic ties between the Western nations are a bulwark against China, much as security cooperation has been against Russian aggression.
Mr. Sunak has announced that American companies made £14 billion or $17.5 billion of investments in Britain, including a new Mars center outside London. However, this message gets complicated due to the passage of the Biden administration’s health, climate and tax bill, which critics in Britain and elsewhere in Europe faulted for its subsidies to green manufacturers. Furthermore, even on AI, Britain is constrained by its go-it-alone status, and it is no longer a member of the Trade and Technology Council, where Washington and Brussels hash out AI-related policies.
While in Washington, Mr. Sunak is not expected to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game featuring the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks, which Downing Street considers risky.
