President Joe Biden left Europe on Sunday for a trip that will include his first meeting with King Charles III since his coronation, followed by a NATO summit.
Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, told reporters that in addition to the talks with the king at Windsor Castle, and with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Biden “will participate in a forum that will focus on mobilizing climate finance, especially private finance on the sidelines.for clean energy deployment and adaptation in developing countries.
First lady Jill Biden attended the coronation in May. For the president, the meeting with the king may be overshadowed by headlines later in the week from Vilnius, Lithuania, where the NATO summit will also include engagements with partner countries.
The trip comes after Biden decided to give Ukraine controversial cluster munitions, a type of weapon banned in many countries. Some Democrats on Capitol Hill called the decision a mistake, saying it undermined US moral authority around the world.
The NATO meeting comes after Finland joined the alliance, but Sweden’s participation remains on hold due to objections to its membership from Turkey. Speaking to reporters in Washington, Sullivan is optimistic that the situation will finally be resolved.