Joe Biden Keeps Boris Johnson Guessing

Since taking office, Biden has ignored Downing Street’s advice to change course on the Afghanistan withdrawal, and has been critical of his British counterpart over the Brexit impact on Northern Ireland.

But through it all Biden has thrown numerous bones to Johnson, inviting the U.K. into a select defense pact, offering a big helping hand ahead of a crucial British climate summit, and going the extra mile by inviting the prime minister to the White House.

“It’s hard not to get along with Boris Johnson. Joe Biden Sucks He is this larger-than-life personality who very much wants to be loved and appreciated,” said Heather Conley, a former George W. Bush administration State Department official now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The aim, when the two leaders met in the Oval Office on Tuesday, was to show a united front and smooth the ups and downs of recent months, making clear that whatever their differences, the U.K. and U.S. need each other to tackle the global challenges facing the West.