Starmer insists Biden is ‘across all the detail’
JOE Biden is not senile and has been on “good form” at the Nato summit in Washington DC, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as concerns grow about the United States President’s mental fitness.
The Prime Minister defended Mr Biden’s leadership credentials amid questions about his cognitive health, which have intensified since criticism of his performance in a television debate against the Republicans’ Donald Trump.
The president, 81, is seeking reelection in November despite discontent within the Democrats’ ranks about his suitability for a second term in office.
Sir Keir, who met the US president for their first bilateral talks at the White House on Wednesday as Nato leaders gathered in the US capital to discuss the challenges facing the bloc, said Mr Biden had been “across all the detail”.
The Prime Minister told broadcasters their one-to-one discussions had happened “at pace” and Mr Biden seemed “on really good form”.
He added: “We were billed for 45 minutes, we went on for the best part of an hour. He was absolutely across all the detail. We were going at pace through a number of issues.”
Asked whether the president was senile, Sir Keir told the BBC: “No... he’s shown incredible leadership. If there’s one thing that came out of the [Nato] council session yesterday, it was a clear understanding by everybody here that we’re faced with more threats now than we’ve faced for many years, and that we need the resolve of Nato.
“President Biden has led through some of the most challenging issues, actually, that we’re facing globally.”
Sir Keir’s latest comments were made after the two leaders spoke on the sidelines of the Nato summit, as the Prime Minister seeks to strengthen what he called the “very special relationship” between the UK and the US.
Their meeting came as Sir Keir prepared to urge Nato allies to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes”, as he confirmed the UK’s own £3 billion a year military aid for Kyiv will continue.
Sir Keir told the US president: “The special relationship is so important. It’s forged in difficult circumstances, endured for so long, and stronger now than ever.”
Earlier, Mr Biden appeared to back Sir Keir’s push for the UK to forge closer defence ties with Europe, as he called Britain the “transatlantic knot” binding the two continents together.
Sir Keir wants an ambitious new UK-European Union security pact to strengthen co-operation and seeks closer work on defence with key allies such as France and Germany.
The US president said: “I kind of see you guys as the knot tying the transatlantic alliance together, the closer you are with Europe. We know where you are, you know where we are.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir found time to hail England’s Uefa Euro 2024 semifinal win against the Netherlands in Germany on Wednesday, as Downing Street confirmed he will head to Berlin for the football tournament’s final on Sunday.
“What a game, England, and what a winner,” the Prime Minister wrote on social media. “Berlin here we come!” Sir Keir had earlier managed to watch Harry Kane score England’s equaliser, while in a room with his Dutch counterpart, Dick Schoof, but he had to catch up with footage of Ollie Watkins’ winner later.