U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday said he has seen the priorities of the U.S. and his nation “come together” in recent weeks.
Johnson said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he and President Joe Biden have had two productive conversations since the latter assumed office last month.
“There’s been some important developments in the way the U.K.-U.S. thinking has been coming together in the last few weeks, and particularly on issues like climate change, on NATO, on Iran, but above all, on the ways that the U.S. and the U.K. are going to work together to deal with the environmental challenge that faces our planet,” Johnson said.
Biden in the past has negatively compared the Conservative Party leader to former President Donald Trump. Pressed by host Margaret Brennan on whether he was concerned the two had gotten off on the wrong foot, Johnson did not answer directly.
“I’ve had, I think, already two long and very good conversations with the president and we had a really good exchange, particularly about climate change and what he wants to do,” he responded.
Trump touted comparisons between himself and the British prime minister, who assumed office in 2019 amid turmoil over Britain’s Brexit efforts — and who had the U.S. president’s support on that nettlesome issue.
But the former president also tested the so-called special relationship with the U.K., withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement, despite continued British buy-in on both.
Johnson highlighted climate change and Iran policy as areas where the two countries could work together.
“I think some of the stuff we’re now hearing from the new American administration and from the new White House is incredibly encouraging,” Johnson said.
Read more: politico.com
