Sunak and Biden to meet in UK amid divisions over US plan to send cluster bombs to Ukraine
US President Joe Biden will fly into the UK on Sunday amid tensions over his decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.
Air Force One is expected to touch down at Stansted Airport this evening before Mr Biden meets with both Rishi Sunak in Downing Street and the King at Windsor Castle on Monday.
Mr Biden’s stopover in Britain comes ahead of a crunch two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday, in which leaders are set to discuss the war in Ukraine and the future of the military alliance as several nations clamber to join.
But it comes as controversy grows over the White House’s announcement that it will send cluster munitions to Kyiv, despite use of the bombs being banned by 123 nations across the world – including Britain.
Mr Biden, who will be accompanied on his European tour by his Secretary of State Antony Blinken, called it a “difficult decision”, but claimed he had to act because “the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition”.
However, Mr Sunak publicly refused to back the move while speaking to reporters on Saturday, and pointed out that the UK is a “signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use”.
He added: “We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we’ve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine.”
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How cluster munitions could impact war
Some of his Conservative colleagues have gone further, with Tory MP and Commons Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood urging the US to “reconsider”.
He tweeted: “This is the wrong call and will alienate international good will. Their use leaves deadly unexploded ordnance over the battlefield, killing & injuring civilians.”
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Ukraine war is at a critical moment – and Zelenskyy needs some good news
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UK opposition to cluster weapons
Critics say cluster bombs, which are dropped across a wide area, kill and maim people indiscriminately.
They have also been compared to landmines because they can fail to detonate on impact and sometimes lay undiscovered for years – until unsuspecting civilians are blown up when they accidentally set them off.
The US’s Western allies appear split on the decision – Germany has declined to criticise the move, while Spain has expressed concerns.
Both Russia and Ukraine have already deployed cluster munitions so far in the war and, like the US, are not signatories to the international agreement banning their use.
Despite the tensions, the White House said Mr Biden was looking forward to the talks with Mr Sunak, which will include the pair “comparing notes” on Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia.
Mr Sunak and Mr Biden are not expected to hold a joint news conference in the UK.
Meanwhile, Downing Street has said Mr Sunak will use the NATO summit to urge allies to increase their military spending.
Biden and Sunak during a meeting in California back in March. Pic: AP
In a statement, the prime minister said: “As we face new and unprecedented challenges to our physical and economic security, our alliances are more important than ever.
“The UK is Europe’s leading NATO ally, we are the United States’ most important trade, defence and diplomatic partner, and we are at the forefront of providing Ukraine with the support they need to succeed on the battlefield.
“We have forged and invested in these alliances because we know they are the foundation of our strength and security.”
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What are cluster bombs?
The UK is among a minority of NATO members that meets the alliance’s commitment to spend at least 2% of national income on defence.
France, Germany and Spain did not meet the target last year, according to estimates.
Mr Biden will finish his European tour with a visit to the Finnish capital Helsinki for a US-Nordic leaders summit, before flying back to the US on Thursday.
Children are among the fatalities in a mass shooting at a child’s birthday party in California.
Police said four people had died and 10 were wounded in the incident in Stockton, about 60 miles east of San Francisco.
Officers were called on Saturday to a banquet hall just before 6pm local time (2am UK time) and district attorney Ron Freitas said children were among the dead.
He said the attacker was still at large.
First responders walk through a parking lot near the scene of a mass shooting in Stockton, California. Pics: AP
“We can confirm at this time that approximately 14 individuals were struck by gunfire, and four victims have been confirmed deceased,” San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said on X.
The post said early indications suggest it could be a “targeted incident” but that information remains limited.
Police have so far not disclosed the attacker’s identity and the motive is unclear.
Stockton’s vice mayor Jason Lee confirmed on Facebook that the shooting on Lucile Avenue happened at a child’s birthday party.
Pics: AP
Mayor Christina Fugazzi also said that “families should be together instead of at the hospital, standing next to their loved one, praying that they survive”.
California governor Gavin Newsom’s office added that he had been briefed on the “horrific shooting”.
Venezuela has accused Donald Trump of a “colonial threat” after he said the airspace “above and surrounding” the country should be considered closed “in its entirety”.
Mr Trump made the declaration amid growing tensions with President Maduro – and as the US continues attacking boats it claims are carrying drugs from Venezuela.
He wrote on Truth Social: “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”
Air traffic above Venezuela on Saturday afternoon. Pic: FlightRadar24
Venezuela’s foreign affairs office called it a “colonial threat” and “illegal, and unjustified aggression”.
It accused the president of threatening “the sovereignty of the national airspace… and the full sovereignty of the Venezuelan state”.
President Trump’s words were part of a “permanent policy of aggression against our country” that breached international law and the UN Charter, it added.
The Pentagon and the White House have so far not given any additional detail on the president’s statement.
Mr Trump’s post comes after the American aviation regulator last week warned of a “potentially hazardous situation” over Venezuela due to a “worsening security situation”.
Nicolas Maduro is widely considered a dictator by the West. Pic: Reuters
The South American nation revoked operating rights for six major airlines that went on to suspend flights to the country.
Mr Trump warned a few days ago that land operations against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers would begin “very soon”.
Such a move would be a major escalation in Operation Southern Spear – the US naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific that’s so far attacked at least 21 vessels.
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Three killed as US strikes another alleged drug boat
Venezuela has said the attacks, which have killed more than 80 people, amount to murder.
The US has released videos of boats being targeted, but hasn’t provided evidence – such as photos of their cargo – to support the smuggling claims.
Read more:
Trump may have another motive in war on drugs
The US-Venezuela crisis explained
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Venezuela claims Trump creating ‘fables’ to justify ‘war’
The Pentagon has sought to justify the strikes by labelling the drug gangs as “foreign terrorist organisations” – putting them on par with the likes of al Qaeda.
It claims the boats targeted are carrying drugs bound for the US, although Sky’s chief correspondent says the final destination is likely to be Europe and West Africa.
President Maduro has denied Mr Trump’s claims he is involved in the drugs trade himself and said his counterpart wants to oust him so he can install a more sympathetic government.
Venezuelan officials have also claimed Mr Trump’s true motivation is access to the country’s plentiful oil reserves.
Mr Maduro is widely considered a dictator who’s cheated elections and has been president since 2013.
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