Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Nato summit in Lithuania on Wednesday, US officials confirmed to The Independent.
The meeting comes as Mr Biden has expressed doubts in recent days about Ukraine’s long-sought goal of joining the trans-Atlantic alliance.
Earlier, he caused a stir when he appeared to breach royal protocol by touching King Charles III during an arrival ceremony at Windsor Castle on Monday.
The King also seemed to lose his cool after one of the Welsh Guards at the castle apparently spent too much time engaging the president in conversation.
Mr Biden appeared to ignore the King when he tried to get him to stop talking during their inspection of the Welsh Guards. The US president also risked breaking protocol by grabbing Charle’s arm as they shook hands and later putting his hand on his back during their lap of the quadrangle.
There was a moment when the King tried to get Mr Biden to keep walking as the president spoke to a palace guard. But the monarch then rebuked the guard before walking away with the president.
Mr Biden also said that the UK-US relationship is “rock solid”, during his Downing Street meeting with Rishi Sunak.
Mr Biden only spent 24 hours in London which is not an official state visit before heading to Vilnius where he was met by Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda as he arrives at Vilnius International Airport.
Watch: Joe Biden says UK-US relationship is ‘rock solid’ at meeting with Rishi Sunak
Biden will meet Zelensky at Nato summit in Lithuania as war with Russia rages on
Meeting comes as Biden expressed doubts about possible Ukraine membership in NATO.
More images of Biden’s meeting with King Charles
‘Whistleblower’ who accused Bidens of corruption is charged with arms trafficking and violating Iran sanctions
Gal Luft, who is a citizen of both the United States and Israel, is accused of paying a former adviser to Donald Trump on behalf of principals in China in 2016.
Trump suggests Biden ‘on cocaine’ when Mar-a-Lago raided
The one-term president took to Truth Social to rant about his successor and the Justice Department’s Mar-a-Lago raid which has ended with him being charged over the handling of classified documents.
“Was Crooked Joe Biden on Cocaine when he instructed the FBI/DOJ to illegally invade my home, Mar-a-Lago, in complete and total violation of my 4th Amendment Rights?” Mr Trump seethed.
“Was he on Cocaine, or various other substances, when he, for the first time in U.S. history, had his political opponent, who is leading him in the Polls by a lot, indicted and arrested (twice, if you include the DOJ run Manhattan D.A.’s Office)? WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE!!!”
Biden to meet with Zelensky at NATO summit
Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit on Wednesday, an official confirmed to CNN.
Russia’s war in Ukraine will obviously be among the most important items on the agenda for NATO leaders as they meet in Lithuania this week.
Politico was the first to report the meeting.
NEW: Among President Biden’s scheduled meetings on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius over the next two days:
President Erdogan of Turkey
President Zelenskyy of Ukraine
With /@alexbward. Story TK
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) July 10, 2023
Watch as Joe Biden meets King Charles at Windsor Castle
This is the moment when Joe Biden met with King Charles on Monday, July 10.
The US president arrived in London on Sunday evening and hailed the “rock-solid” relationship between America and the UK as he met Rishi Sunak in Downing Street.
He praised the closeness of ties between the two countries as he and the prime minister held talks in the garden of No 10.
Mr Biden then sat down for tea with the King to discuss the climate crisis following his meeting with Mr Sunak.
Though it is not a full-blown state visit, the president was treated to a display of pageantry at Windsor Castle.
People defend Joe Biden after reporter claims he wore sneakers without socks
On Sunday, the president boarded Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base as he headed to London. For the trip, Biden was dressed in blue slacks, a pale blue button-down shirt, and a blue blazer. He completed the look with a pair of navy and grey Skechers slip-in shoes.
However, according to New York Times reporter Doug Mills, one thing the president was missing was his socks. Mills sparked a debate about the apparent fashion faux pas when he tweeted on Sunday that the 80 year old had allegedly gone sans socks for the flight.
“@Potus boards Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base as he departs for London, England. Biden was not [wearing] socks with his sneakers,” Mills tweeted, along with a photo of Biden’s full outfit, as well as a close-up shot of the president’s sneakers and bare ankle.
Biden calls King Charles meeting an ‘honor’
“It was an honor meeting with His Majesty this morning for a wide-ranging discussion on the global challenges facing our nations,” the US president tweeted during his trip to the UK.
It was an honor meeting with His Majesty this morning for a wide-ranging discussion on the global challenges facing our nations. pic.twitter.com/KBybKVrnkF
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 10, 2023
Hunt and Bailey speaking from Mansion House live
Jeremy Hunt and Andrew Bailey speaking from Mansion House live on YouTube.